The Frenchman needed two hours and six minutes and three sets to send the number one seed and good friend packing.
Corentin Moutet is though to the quarterfinals of the Millenium Open in Estoril beating the Canadian number one seed Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals in a three set marathon battle.
“It was a good match, he’s a great player so I had to play a good level and I managed to do it, it was tough conditions today for both players due to the wind and many other things so it was tough to play but at the end, I managed to get the win so I’m really happy about that”.
It was the Canadian who got off to the fast start in the match holding his opening service game and earning a breakpoint in the very next game but it was the Paris native who would come up big saving it and holding serve.
At 3-2 the Toronto native had three more chances to break but again the Frenchman would deny him the opportunity and the following game would break the Canadian after a poor service game and breaking him at love to take a 4-3 lead.
He would serve out the first set to take it 6-4 and at the beginning of the second set the Canadian pushed once again for the early break and he would get this time as the Frenchman would double fault on breakpoint to give him a 2-0 lead.
Shapovalov faced a breakpoint while holding serve to consolidate the break but he managed to save it playing his aggressive game style. He would go on to take the second set 6-2 on his third set point with a trademark backhand to force a third and deciding set.
The Frenchman battled back in the beginning of the third set and managed to get the early break to take a 1-0 lead but the following game the Canadian would respond by breaking back the very next game on his third breakpoint.
After holding serve the number one seed had a chance to break once again to take a lead and he did just that when the Paris native would double fault again and the Canadian had a 3-1 lead.
The world number 73 managed to have four looks at a chance to break back and he would finally get the breakthrough at the fourth time of asking to go back on serve and after holding serve would break at love to take a 4-3 lead and serve out the match.
After the match he told Ubitennis his thoughts on his good result this week in Estoril.
“I still have to be focused on play tomorrow, I will see tomorrow, there is no result for the moment”.
He will next face the winner of Pierre Hugues Herbert and Albert Ramos Vinolas.
In other action today Christian Garin didn’t even need to play to advance as Richard Gasquet pulled out due to a leg injury, Cameron Norrie needed three sets to beat the Spaniard Pedro Martinez 4-6, 7-6 (1), 7-5.
