Djokovic flirts with defeat before dumping out Dolgopolov

Novak Djokovic - Cropped

Novak Djokovic narrowly avoided a shock exit at the hands of Alexandr Dolgopolov at the Miami Open, before storming into the quarter-finals.

Trailing by a set and 4-1, world number one Djokovic chalked up a relatively comfortable 6-7 (3-7) 7-5 6-0 victory in just under two hours.

Frustration was outward from the eight-time major winner, with Djokovic breaking his racquet when Dolgopolov broke for a 5-4 lead in the first set.

Despite breaking back, Djokovic went on to concede the opener and a one-break deficit in the second set - only to turn the match on its head.

The top seed in Miami won 12 of the final 13 games, and in winning nine straight to seal the match from 4-5 in the second set, Djokovic dropped only five points.

Next up for the Serbian is sixth seed David Ferrer, who dispatched with Gilles Simon 7-6 (7-5) 6-0. 

Defending and four-time Miami champion Djokovic has won his past seven contests with the Spaniard, and 11 of their past 13.

Rafael Nadal's conqueror Fernando Verdasco was unable to build on his victory over the world number three, going down to Juan Monaco 6-3 6-3.

Monaco will meet Tomas Berdych in the last eight, after the eighth seed progressed when Gael Monfils retired injured.

Leading 6-3 3-2, Berdych was handed progression when Monfils retired following a heavy fall in the fifth game of the second set.

Third seed Andy Murray's 500th ATP World Tour match victory - a 6-4 3-6 6-3 triumph over 15th seed Kevin Anderson - booked him a quarter-final match-up with Dominic Thiem.

Thiem downed 28th seed Adrian Mannarino 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 7-5.

Kei Nishikori, seeded four at the ATP 1000 hard-court event, was a comfortable 6-1 6-2 victor over David Goffin.

Nishikori will take on John Isner for a spot in the semi-finals, after the American 22nd seed won a break-less affair over Milos Raonic 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-5).

Raonic, the fifth seed, blew a 3-0 lead in the second-set tie-break, before Isner went on to seal victory in two hours, 43 minutes.

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