ESTORIL, May 3, 2019
Wild card entry David Goffin advanced to the quarterfinals of the Millennium Estoril Open on Thursday. The No. 4 seed from Belgium defeated defending champion Joao Sousa from Portugal 6-3, 6-2.
Goffin won 58 per cent of the total points played to secure victory in one hour and 20 minutes. “It was tough. A couple of breaks in the first but I had to stay really focused to close it and then I played really well in the second,” Goffin said. “I’m really happy that as soon as I had a chance to close the match, I did it. It was not easy even if it was 6-3, 6-2.”
The 28-year-old old will next take on Malek Jaziri, who edged past Leonardo Mayer of Argentina 7-6(2), 6-1. The World No. 75 from Tunisia saved the only break point he faced, converting both of his own two chances to prevail after one hour and 21 minutes.
Frances Tiafoe also reached the stage of the final eight, rallying past Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(5). The No. 8 seeded US-American sent down four aces, winning 60 per cent of his first service games.
“I came out and he wasn’t missing a ball. It was a little windy, it was playing really slow and I couldn’t hit through him,” Tiafoe said. “I was trying to just stay the course, got in a good rhythm there for a while and served for it, messed up that game and then it got real complicated down 5/3 in the tie-break.”
Tiafoe eventually finished the encounter after two hours and 25 minutes. “I just kept digging, kept digging, stayed in the long rallies even though I don’t like that. I’m very tired right now,” the 21-year-old Florida resident said. “But those matches are big. You definitely need those.”
Next up for Tiafoe will be Pablo Cuevas. The World No. 67 from Uruguay won the battle of the tournament’s lucky losers with Filippo Baldi from Italy 6-2, 7-5 in one hour and 27 minutes.
Millennium @EstorilOpen QFs are set:
[1] Tsitsipas vs. [Q] Domingues
[4] Goffin vs. Jaziri
[Q] Davidovich vs. [3] Monfils
[8] Tiafoe vs. [LL] Cuevas— Millennium #EstorilOpen (@EstorilOpen) 2. Mai 2019
