Djokovic wins epic battle against Simon.
World No 1 Novak Djokovic survived a scary threat from Frenchman Gilles Simon as he won their fourth round match at the Australian Open 6-3 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 4-6 6-3 after 4 hours and 32 minutes.
The defending champion proved physically and mentally tougher in the deciding set to defeat the inspired Simon for his 27 th straight quarter-final appearance in a Grand Slam.
“He made me play extra shots today. I made a few more errors. Congratulate him for such a great fight,” said the Serbain who will take on Japanese Kei Nishikori in the next round.
“We’ve played many times in big tournaments and I lost to him in the US semis a couple years ago. I hope to be able to perform my best in the next match,” Djokovic said.
