David Goffin converted 6 of the 18 break points he created to edge 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic 6-4 3-6 6-0 after 2 minutes and 11 minutes on Court Rainier III in the inaugural day of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters.
Cilic broke serve in the second game to open up a 3-0 lead. Goffin came back by winning six of the seven games with two breaks in the fifth and ninth games to claim the first set 6-4.
Goffin went up a break at deuce in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Cilic reeled off four consecutive games with two breaks in the fourth and sixth games to take a 4-2 lead. The Croatian player saved a total of five break points in in the seventh and ninth games to win the second set 6-3.
Goffin converted his second break point after four deuces in the second game to open up a 3-0 lead. The Belgian player got two more breaks in the fourth and sixth games to take a bagel win in the third set.
Goffin now leads 5-4 in his head-to-head matches against Cilic and is now tied 2-2 in their clay matches.
Goffin stopped a three-match losing streak, which dates back to last month’s Qatar Exxon Mobil Open in Doha.
“It’s a good win. This is my first tournament on clay in 2021. Starting with a victory is a good. It’s a good way of starting the tournament, and I am happy. I did what I needed to win this match. I was playing better and better. In the first and second set, I had problems with the returns. In the third set, I was more consistent. It was a good match”, said Goffin.
Australia’s Jordan Thompson battled past France’s Benoit Paire 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-5) in a hard-fought match which featured 17 breaks of serve.
Both players traded breaks twice in the first set en route to 4-4. Thompson sealed the first set 6-4 with a break in the 10th game. Paire got a break in the third game to take a 3-1 lead. Thompson broke back in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4. Paire went up a break twice in the 9th and 11th games, but Thompson broke straight back to send the second set to the tie-break. Paire earned two mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-3.
Thompson went up a break in the first game of the third set, but Paire broke straight back and held serve to take a 2-1 lead. The Frenchman broke serve at deuce to take a 3-1 lead. Thompson broke back in the fifth game and saved two break points to hold serve at deuce to draw level to 3-3. Thompson broke serve in the 11th game served for the match at 6-5, but Paire forced the match with a break in the 12th game. Thompson rallied from 1-3 down to win the tie-break 7-5.
