Novak Djokovic has qualified for the quarter finals of the French Open after beating Andreas Seppi 3-6 6-7 6-3 7-5 6-3 in an enthralling ecounter.

The world number one looked sluggish from the outset and failed to match Seppi's intensity as Djokovic was broken twice on the way to a 6-4 defeat in the first set.

Despite improving in the second set, Djokovic could not break down a stubborn Seppi and the Italian came out on top in a tight tie-break to go 2-0 up.

As Seppi looked to complete a stunning straight sets victory Djokovic started to find his form with a string of impressive shots giving him the advantage and he broke Seppi four times in an 6-3 set victory to give him a passage back into the match.

The fourth set proved to be as tight as the first two and Djokovic had to wait until the tenth game to finally get his chance at levelling the match when Seppi offered up two break points which the Serb welcomed with open arms.

In the deciding set, both players showed great stamina to continue delivering a high standard of tennis despite the length of the match.

However, it was Seppi who made the first mistake when he gave Djokovic a break point, which the Serb quickly snapped up giving him the curcial edge.

Djokovic didn't waste his opportunity and completed a couple of tough service games to book his place in the next round.