Drafted in the morning as a ‘lucky loser’, David Goffin (ATP 54) asserted his opportunity against the Italian Matteo Arnaldi (ATP 37) in the first round of the ATP 500 tennis tournament in Basel, Monday in Switzerland. The game ended with a score of 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-2 after two and a half hours of play.
Author of the first break of the game, Goffin let the first set escape him in the tie-break, even though he had notably benefited from two set points at 5-4, on his commitment. Still threatened at the start of the second set, the Liégeois resisted Arnaldi’s attacks and stole the Italian’s commitment at the ideal moment to serve and restore equality. Disciplined in the third set, David Goffin defended his serve and offered himself two breaks before winning the game.
In the 2nd round of this tournament played on hard surface and with 2,385,100 euros, David Goffin will face the Frenchman Ugo Humbert, 16th in the world and 5th seed in Basel, defeating the Swiss qualifier Jérôme Kym (ATP 140), 6-4 , 6-7 (5/7), 7-5.
Beaten on Sunday in the 2nd round of qualifying by the Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp (ATP 67), David Goffin was drafted thanks to his status as No. 1 seed in the preliminary table. The 54th in the world benefited from the withdrawal of the Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena (ATP 55).
The Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime (ATP 19/N.8) is the double title holder in Basel where ten years ago, the young Goffin reached the final. He lost to the local boy Roger Federer (6-2, 6-2).
