Saturday 18 February 2017

Goffin revenge in Rotterdam quarters

The semi finals are decided in the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam.
Grigor Dimitrov will not be winning his second straight event, thanks to revenge served up by David Goffin over three sets in their quarter final.  In a particularly even first set, confirmed by most of the statistics, the single service break was sufficient for the Belgian to take the lead 6-4.

Dimitrov turned it on its head in set two, punishing an ineffective Goffin serve, and breaking twice in the process.  6-1 and appearing to be on track for the semis.  Defiantly, Goffin stemmed the momentum and galvanised his serve, allowing room to attack the Bulgarian more in general play.  As in set one, just the single break, coming from his only chance, and the set and the match to David Goffin 6-4 1-6 6-3.

He will play Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the second of the semi finals.  Herbert has surprised all by winning through qualifying and now, by out serving Dominic Thiem, reaching the semi final.  He won in straight sets, capturing 76 points to 57 for the match.

The first semi final will be a cracker - Jo-Wilfried Tsonga v Tomas Berdych.
Tsonga outlasted Marin Cilic in two tie break sets.  No breaks of serve for the match, in fact only four break points faced.  Tsonga won the tie breaks 10-8 and 7-5 so must be relieved to escape from a match where he failed to convert his single chance to break the Cilic serve prior to the lotteries which tie breaks tend to be.

Berdych's win was much more like a walk in the park.  He won 36 points from the 41 first serves that hit the mark, and as a result did not face a break point.  He converted all of the three break points created on the Martin Klizan serve, however, and the match was always in Czech hands. 6-3 6-3.

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