WATCH: Roberto Carballes Baena secures best ever performance at the Madrid Open
Roberto Carballes Baena advances to the round of 64 after defeating Belgian star David Goffin. The match saw some exciting plays from both sides, but the Spaniard produced the win with his clinical efforts.
Carballes Baena currently sits at No. 53 on the ATP Rankings, 42 spots ahead of his Belgian opponent, who currently sits at No. 95.
It came as no surprise that the Spaniard came out on top. The 30-year-old has had a successful clay court season thus far. He went into the match, winning five of his last six games on the surface. Although, his last performance on clay saw him lose 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 to Marcos Giron in Munich.
Carballes Baena has already claimed his first title of the clay court season after defeating French star Alexander Muller 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 2-6 in the final, in Marrakech. This certainly boosted his confidence while proving his ability on clay.
His competitor, Goffin, has had difficulty adapting to the clay court, having only won one out of his last four games on the surface coming into the match.
The pair squared off for an exciting one hour and 27 minutes before the Spaniard sealed off a 6-4, 6-4 win over his Belgian foe.
Goffin started off the match well, winning the first game. Unfortunately for the 32-year-old, he could not hold the lead, losing some massive points to his Spanish competitor. However, he made a few pushes to get the match level at two games each.
Sadly, the Belgian was not clinical enough, which saw him gift Carballes Baena some vital points. The Spaniard won his first set by two games after the Belgian’s forehanded shot hurdled its way over the line.
He sealed off his victory after Goffin produced another wayward shot, giving the Spaniard the ticket to advance to the next round. This makes it the 30-year-old’s best-ever performance in the tournament, with his previous results seeing him topple in the first rounds in 2016 and 2018.
Carballes Baena is set to take on 13th seed Alexander Zverev tomorrow. This will be the first time the players have faced each other, which will certainly bring an exciting and unpredictable match.
The German star Zverev has yet to have the most clinical clay court season, having only secured two wins in his last four matches on the surface. His last match on the surface saw him lose 6-7 (2-7), 4-6, to Australian star Christopher O’Connell in the second round of the Bavarian International Championship in Munich.
READ MORE: Alexander Zverev still beating that comeback trail
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