Chicago- The legal fight between former Bulls star Michael Jordan and ex-lover Karla Knafel is essentially back at the beginning after the Illinois Supreme Court declined Wednesday to hear an appeal of a lower court ruling.

The case, in which Jordan alleged the woman attempted to extort $5 million from him to remain silent and not file a paternity suit after she became pregnant in 1991, will now go forward in Cook County Circuit Court. So will a counterclaim by Knafel.

“We want to take [Jordan’s] deposition, and hopefully we’ll have a jury trial soon,” said Blake Hannafan, Knafel’s attorney.

The Supreme Court let stand an Appellate Court ruling allowing Knafel’s counterclaim to go forward.

Knafel initially suffered a setback when Cook County Judge Richard Siebel ruled her claim extortionate and against public policy. But the Appellate Court disagreed, determining Siebel had prematurely dismissed the case before it had been fully argued.

The Appellate Court sent the case back to Cook County. The Supreme Court declined to take up the case, meaning it is headed back to the Circuit Court.

“We expect Michael Jordan’s position to be fully vindicated,” said his attorney, Fred Sperling. “Ms. Knafel knew that Mr. Jordan is not the father of her child, and she knows who the real father is.”

Sperling has argued in court papers that DNA tests indicated Jordan was not the father of Knafel’s child.

Knafel’s attorney declined to discuss the paternity issues.

In previous filings, Knafel alleged that her relationship began in December 1989, three months after Jordan got married, and continued for about a year. When she became pregnant, Jordan paid her $250,000.

Knafel alleged she further had an agreement with the basketball star to receive $5 million upon Jordan’s retirement from the National Basketball Association. Jordan denies the existence of any such agreement.