Belgium David Goffin needed two hours 15 minutes to get past Austrian Dominic Thiem 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3 on Court Des Princes to book a spot in the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters quarterfinals.
David Goffin saves a match point; wins set via tiebreaker
Both eased their way into the match by holding serve to begin the contest. The third game indicated that this affair would be a tight one. Up 30-love, Dominic Thiem fell apart and Goffin took his chances by winning four straight points to set up a break point opportunity. A good first serve denied the Belgique but he came back and earned a second break point moments later.
A stunning backhand down the line sent the game to deuce but with Thiem under pressure, Goffin earned a third break point. This time, he broke by attacking the serve and finishing the point with a volley winner. However, the sixth seed came straight back at Goffin and earned a break back point with a backhand winner down the line.
He then attacked the tenth seeds serve and smashed a forehand winner to get back on level terms at 2-2. This was followed by a hold of serve as he consolidated to edge ahead at 2-3. Thiem then broke once more in the very next point for 2-4, which again was followed by a love hold of serve which saw him go 2-5 infront.
The 26-year-old then got stuck in and with Thiem serving for the set, he saved two set points and broke at the net before consolidating and drawing level at 5-5. Both held their serves and a tiebreaker was needed to separate the two players, who seemed neck and neck. The tenth seed dominated the breaker, going 6-2 up and earning four set points. But Thiem was determined to fight and three of the set points were saved before Goffin eventually ended Thiem's resistance, 7-6(4).
Dominic Thiem fights back to set up a deciding set
Having lost the opening set from a break-up, Thiem was determined to force a third. The start of the set went all his own way. The Austrian sent the game to deuce before earning a break point at advantage. The Belgium hit an unforced error which led to his opponent breaking early on.
A comfortable hold of serve made it a perfect 0-2. Goffin then got on the scoreboard in the third game with a relatively comfortable service game. An error filled game from Thiem allowed Goffin a hope back into the set as he grabbed double break point chances.
Two good unreturnable serves saw the game go to deuce as the 26-year-old narrowly missed out on breaking Thiem who went on to hold serve and stay ahead in the set at 1-3. From that moment on, both players then got into a rhythm on their own serve, comfortably holding serves for the most part of the set with one or two games going to deuce.
Up 5-4 with a break on his side, the 23-year-old was left serving to send the match to a third set. At 30-all, Goffin gifted a set point to his Austrian opponent, who took the chance and made it count by smashing an overhead winner to take the set 6-4 and force a decider.
David Goffin comes from a break behind, reels off four games to advance
Having lost the second set, Goffin started the set brightly. Having held his opening service game, a breakpoint was then up for grabs at advantage. But Thiem saved the point and went on to hold for 1-1. The two then held their next games and at this moment, it looked like nothing were to separate them.
But Thiem found an opening and earned a break point at 30-40. A double fault confirmed the break for Thiem who went infront at 2-3. But he struggled in the next game allowing the world number 13 to get straight back into the match with double break point opportunities.
First time of asking, he broke back after Thiem frustratedly sent a forehand wide of the mark, 3-3. The Belgique then gained confidence from that by holding serve and putting Thiem under some severe pressure in the eighth game.
Goffin ran away to a love-40 lead and another frustrating backhand shot went wide with Thiem losing his temper and composure, getting broken for the second time in as many games. Up 5-3 and serving for the match, Goffin went two match points up and made no mistakes and at last finished off the set 6-3 and the match, winning the last four games on the bounce to progress.