Paris (AFP)
Roger Federer, 3rd World, had to work on Thursday to bend David Goffin (14th) 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 and qualify for the quarterfinals of the Masters 1000 Shanghai.
Double winner of the tournament (2014 and 2017), he will meet Friday in the quarter Alexander Zverev (6th) or Andrey Rublev (33rd), who compete Thursday at the end of the program.
Goffin, who is aiming for a place at the London Masters (10-17 November), played at a very high level and broke ground to lead 6-5, a service to follow in the first leg. But, stretched over the three set balls he got, he ended up letting Switzerland level out at 6-6.
A double fault put Federer in trouble from the start of the tie break. Goffin thus had a 4th set ball, then a 5th. But it was finally Federer who won on his 2nd set ball.
Even if he did not completely extinguish the resistance of Goffin, the Swiss took the ascendancy and did not let himself be taken in a new tiebreak.
A long ball from his opponent gave him two match points on his serve and the first was enough.
© 2019 AFP