David Goffin is in the quarter finals of the 27th NOVENTI OPEN after winning in three sets against Radu Albot from Moldavia. He defeated the worlds’ no. 41 - 4:6, 6:4, 6:3.
It took Goffin long to get into the feeling on the grass in Halle at the Gerry Weber Stadion, though. Straight at the start the Belgian had to fender off a break point. Albot even had three chances to take the service off the former worlds’ no. seven. Goffin parried the first break point with an ace, but still lost the game to the man from Moldavia.
The Belgian tennis star even had the chance to directly re-break, but the quarter finalist from 2016 was making far too many mistakes today and so it stayed just a chance and meant the lead for Albot 4:2. After 38 minutes the first-time player in Halle got the set 6:4
And in the second set, too, the 28-year-old Goffin struggled and had to fender off early break points again. With temperatures soring high on the Centre Court the match was a little slow with short rallies, few highlights and many errors on both sides of the net. Goffin had difficulties, especially with his first service, despite acing four times in the second set. Albot, who won his first title on the ATP-Tour in the Delray Open this year, was not able to exploit this weakness effectively. After 79 minutes Goffin got his first and deciding break 6:4.
The first match on the Centre Court went into the third set. In the deciding set the worlds’ no. 33 from Belgium took up speed, took his opponents service to love and was in the lead after only 10 minutes 3:0. A further break point 4:0 was parried by the Moldavian player.
In the last set the matches quality was better. Because Goffin, who had thrown Guido Pella out of the tournament in the first round, made less mistakes. Albot had, though really trying, no chance against the Belgian. Goffin won the third set with an ace and was through to the quarter finals after 1:53 hours. “In the end my service helped me a lot. I’m happy to be in the quarter finals” the winner said after the match. He will now meet either Steve Johnson (USA) or the German Alexander Zverev.
