David Goffin wins 300th career match in Marrakech

James Richardson
David Goffin with a towel
David Goffin with a towel

David Goffin earned his 300th tour-level win when he overcame former Grand Prix Hassan II champion Pablo Andujar to reach the last eight in Marrakech.

It took Goffin two hours and 49 minutes to battle past Andujar 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-3 and make the quarterfinals of the ATP 250 event.

Goffin’s first victory on Tour came all the way back in January 2011, when the Belgian defeated Somdev Devvarman in the first round in Chennai.

The 31-year-old rallied after dropping the first set. He found his range as the match went on, saving all three of the break points that he faced in the third set.

“It was a typical clay-court match, with some breaks when serving for sets,” Goffin said in his post-match interview.

“That is what I need at the beginning of the clay-court season. I am happy with the way I was able to stay calm after losing the first set. I continued to stay positive and stay calm and do my best and in the end I managed to turn it around.”

It was the first time in four meetings that Goffin has managed to get the better of Andujar and he will play another Spaniard in Roberto Carballes Baena in his second quarterfinal of the season.

“I am here to play tough matches so it will be another fight tomorrow and I will try to do my best,” Goffin added. “Hopefully I will be able to play another good match.”

In other results on Thursday World No 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime suffered an upset loss to Slovakian Alex Molcan.

Molcan claimed the biggest match win of his career 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(7) in two hours and 39 minutes.

The 24-year-old Slovakian will next meet Botic van de Zandschulp who reached his second quarterfinal of the season with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Czech qualifier Vit Kopriva.

Also on Thursday, Argentine Federico Coria overcame qualifier Mirza Basic 6-4, 6-2 to set up a meeting with French Journeyman Richard Gasquet, who scratched his way past qualifier Pavel Kotov 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

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