Novak Djokovic says he was feeling much better after outclassing Kyle Edmund at Paris Masters.
Djokovic was below par in his opening match of the tournament against Corentin Moutet and confirmed to the media that he had been struggling with illness in recent days.
Against Edmund, the British threatened to cause problems for the world No 1 with several big forehands.
But Djokovic weathered the storm and in a lengthy first set tiebreak, he held his nerve to take the lead.
In the second set, Djokovic took charge of the match, winning six games in a row and hitting three return winners in the final game to complete a 7-6 6-1 win.
And after the match, the Serbian was pleased with how he felt physically.
“I was feeling energy-wise better and felt more alert, just more strength, more energy, more speed,” Djokovic said.
“I didn’t play so well, I think, from baseline in the first set. I served well. That got me to the tie-break.
“Second set was the best set I’ve played so far in the tournament. Finished off with a winner, finished off with amazing return game.
“So of course the sensation is very positive. And I’m convinced that I’m headed in the right direction so that tomorrow will be even better.”
Djokovic’s quarter-final opponent on Friday is Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat Basel runner-up Alex De Minaur 6-3 6-4.
Tsitsipas beat Djokovic at the Shanghai Masters earlier this month and the world No 1 says he is well aware of the threat posed by the Greek.
“I lost to him a couple of weeks ago in Shanghai in three tight sets,” he said.
“He’s a very good player, he has improved, he’s very professional, trains a lot.
“That reflects positively on his game and he’s one of the best players in the world so I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
