David Goffin inherited from Polish Hubert Hurkacz14th player in the world, in the first round of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Rome, a clay court event endowed with 5,415,410 euros, which begins on Monday.
After narrowly missing out on Thursday’s feat of beating Rafael Nadal in the round of 16 in Madrid, the 31-year-old from Liège, 60th player in the world, took the road to Rome where he was to play in the qualifications. Absences allow him to directly integrate the final table.
The Belgian number one will have a hard time facing Hurkacz, 25, seeded N.11, eliminated Friday in the quarter-finals in Madrid, by the Serbian Novak Djokovic, world number 1: 6-3, 6-4.
Hurkacz, is an opponent that David Goffin has never met before on the ATP circuit. The Pole has 4 ATP titles to his credit, including three last year with in particular the Masters 1000 in Miami where he was still a semi-finalist. He reached the quarter-finals in Monte Carlo at the start of the clay-court season this year.
Thursday, Nadal had to fight to overcome David Goffin only winning in three sets 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (11/9) in 3 hours and 9 minutes of play saving four match points in the deciding game of the last set.
No Belgian is playing in the women’s tournament, a WTA 1000 endowed with 2,527,250 dollars. Elise Mertensthe Belgian number 1, insufficiently recovered from her leg injury has withdrawn.
Roland-Garros, the second Grand Slam event of the season, begins on May 22 on clay in Paris.
–
