Belgian David Goffin says he now fancies his chances against the top players on the ATP circuit after his fourth round win against eighth seed Dominic Thiem in the Australian Open.
The twenty-six year-old Goffin was speaking in the aftermath of his win against the higher-seeded Thiem, a win which saw him become the first Belgian man to reach a grand slam quarter-final. “I’m feeling more confident against the top players. I had a lot of matches before the tournament,” he said. Goffin is currently ranked at no.11 in the ATP rankings, but may move higher as a result of improving on last year’s second round showing.
“I knew that I was able to fight, and to win some matches against big guys. I Knew I had that level. The key was to play my best tennis in the match and not only during the practice. But I’m doing more often than in the past. That’s why I’m more confident and I win some more matches.”
Goffin’s incredible run can be traced back to a period between July and August 2014. After a period of injury struggles and a first round Wimbledon defeat to defending champion Andy Murray, Goffin dropped down to challenger level, winning three consecutive tournaments at that level.
He then moved into an ATP event in Kitzbuhel, winning a final against Dominic Thiem. Goffin dropped only two sets in the four tournaments combined, and has never looked back. Since that period in 2014, he improved his ranking to the Top 20 in 2015, and was an alternate at the ATP World Tour Finals in London in 2016. His record against Top ten opponents has seen him earn five wins against that calibre of opponent, with the win against Thiem the earliest he has achieved that success in a calendar year.
