Paris, Novak Djokovic advanced to the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters on Thursday without playing a point because Gael Monfils pulled out injured.
Monfils, who is 0-17 against the top-ranked Djokovic, said he has an adductor injury, reports AP.
Fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev advanced to the last eight after beating No. 16 Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (4), 6-7 (3), 6-3 in an intense contest lasting 2 hours, 45 minutes and where Dimitrov saved two match points in the second set.
Zverev broke for a 4-3 lead in a tight first set but was broken back to 5-5 when serving for the set. He controlled the tiebreaker and clinched it with a volley at the net.
Zverev saved a break point with an ace in the ninth game of the second set and then had two match points with Dimitrov serving at 6-5. Dimitrov saved both of them with volleys at the net.
In the tiebreaker, Dimitrov raced into a 6-1 lead and then clinched it with a service winner, after Zverev had saved two set points.
Momentum finally drifted away from Dimitrov when he failed to punish Zverev in the sixth game of the decider, when Zverev was 0-40 down on his serve. Zverev broke for a 4-3 lead and saved another break point in the next game.
The imposing German then converted his third match point when Dimitrov sliced a return into the net.
Zverev next plays either sixth-seeded Casper Ruud or American qualifier Marcos Giron.
Source: Bahrain News Agency