Wimbledon 2022 LIVE: David Goffin dashed Frances Tiafoe’s Grand Slam hopes for the second consecutive major on Sunday at Wimbledon, where the Belgian held his nerve to clinch a thrilling five-set fourth-round victory on the London grass. Follow Wimbledon 2022 Live updates with InsideSport.IN
Wimbledon 2022 LIVE: David Goffin reaches Wimbledon quarterfinals after surviving 4 hours and 36 minutes of marathon against Frances Tiafoe
The former World No. 7 rallied in the final two sets to seal a 7-6(3), 5-7, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 win against the 23rd-seeded American on No. 2 Court. Goffin also prevailed in the pair’s second-round meeting on the clay at Roland Garros just five-and-a-half weeks ago.
“It was an amazing battle, I had to stay mentally in the match the whole time,” said Goffin in his on-court interview after his four-hour, 36-minute triumph. “Just after the match point, I was mentally dead, because I had to stay fresh all the time to keep my serve, to fight to come back after losing the third set. It was a tough one.
“It was an amazing atmosphere on this court, another epic match against Frances, so I’m very happy to be in the quarter-finals again.”
A topsy-turvy encounter saw both players break their opponent’s serve six times. It was Goffin who found one at the crucial time, however, sealing a decisive break in the 12th game of the fifth set to complete a memorable victory.
The Belgian also reached the quarter-finals on his last appearance at SW19 in 2019, when he fell to eventual champion Novak Djokovic. He admitted that matching that run this year was a particularly emotional moment after an injury-plagued 2021 during which he missed the grass-court major with an ankle problem. Goffin was then out of action from August 2021 to January 2022 with a knee injury.
Wimbledon 2022 LIVE: David Goffin reaches Wimbledon quarterfinals after surviving 4 hours and 36 minutes of marathon against Frances Tiafoe
“It means so much,” said Goffin. “For me, last year was a very tough year with some injuries. Some tough moments on the court, but this year I came back stronger. I fought a lot to come back at my best level.
“I didn’t play a match since 2019 here at The Championships, so to come back this year to compete again well on that surface that I love, [at] this tournament that I love, and win four matches again, it is just incredible.”
The 31-year-old’s opponent in the last eight this time around will be home hope Cameron Norrie, after the British No. 1 downed Tommy Paul 6-4, 7-5, 6-4.
Wimbledon 2022 LIVE: David Goffin reaches Wimbledon quarterfinals after surviving 4 hours and 36 minutes of marathon against Frances Tiafoe
Follow Wimbledon 2022 Live updates with InsideSport.IN
Follow InsideSport on GOOGLE NEWS
