David Goffin has knocked Diego Schwartzman out of the European Open tournament with some very attractive tennis. The player from Liège made it in two sets: 7-6(3) and 6-2. Dominic Thiem continues to successfully battle his way back after a win against Francisco Cerundolo. Félix Auger-Aliassime went through quite smoothly in two sets against Frenchman Manuel Guinard. Fourth-ranked Karen Khachanov was eliminated by Sebastian Korda. In doubles, Xavier Malisse’s tournament is over.
After his victory in the first round against Gilles-Arnaud Bailly (ATP-1185), Goffin had to face three time European Open finalist Diego Schwartzman in the second round of the European Open. The match was immediately full of tension: at 1-1, Goffin already secured a break, but soon the rebreak was a fact. The numerous crowds in attendance could really savour the beautiful game. A tiebreak in the first set had to bring the decision. Goffin often sought the lines with success. He made it 7-3 in that tiebreak.
Goffin saved two break balls early in the second set. Meanwhile, the crowd had gone through the roof of the Lotto Arena a few times and Goffin went along with that vibe. A few games later, he broke through Schwartzman’s serve. The Belgian No 1 did not let the three-time European Open finalist get back into his game. He finished it off with an extra break. The Liège player will play Richard Gasquet (ATP-82), who put the 2016 European Open on his record, in the quarterfinals on Friday (not before 7pm).
Félix Auger-Aliassime (ATP-10) was last to qualify for the quarterfinals of the European Open on Thursday. The Canadian defeated Manuel Guinard (ATP 148) twice 6-3 in the second round. The Canadian went smoothly to 6-3 in the first set. He served strongly and went through Guinard’s serve twice in the second set. It became 6-3 twice. The 22-year-old Canadian secured the overall victory at the ATP tournament in Firenze, Italy, just last weekend and thus continued that streak. Auger-Aliassime will work through the last quarterfinal on Friday, against Briton Daniel Evans (ATP-26).
There was an immediate surprise in the first match of the day on Center Court: Khachanov (ATP-18) was eliminated. In an exciting first set, Khachanov went through Korda’s serve game at 2-1, after a lesser serve by Korda he broke on love. The 22-year-old American (ATP-36) battled back with a lovebreak through Khachanov’s serve. At 5-5, Korda was able to cash in another break ball and reeled in the set moments later: 5-7. Khachanov, the semi-finalist of the US Open ’22, got a break early in the second set, but he countered immediately. A tiebreak had to bring the decision. Khachanov seemed to thunder to set win with a 6-3 lead, but that was beyond Korda. He worked away the set balls and took over. He won the tiebreak 9-11. Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka (ATP-39) awaits in the quarterfinals on Friday at 12:30pm.
In the second match of the day, grandslam winner Thiem (ATP-132) and Argentinian Cerundolo (ATP 28) played against each other. Thiem started strongly with a break. Cerundolo replied with beautiful tennis in the rallies, but he could not convert that into games. The first set ended 6-1. The roles were
reversed in the second set. Cerundolo was able to cash in on a 3-0 lead with a second break. He did not relinquish it again and took the second set 1-6. An exciting third set was balanced. At 3-3, Cerundolo was able to secure a break, but Thiem kept sprinkling beautiful backhands and broke back on love. Thiem continued that streak and, like last week in Gijon, won against the Argentine: 7-5. Thiem faces the first series head, Pole Hubert Hurkacz (ATP-11), in the quarterfinals on Friday (not before 2pm).
Xavier Malisse joined Diego Schwartzman’s side for the final match on Centre Court. The Belgian/Argentine duo played great at times. Malisse picked up the rhythm effortlessly and provided some masterful points. The first set was well-balanced, and a tiebreak had to be the deciding factor: Dutchmen Griekspoor and Van De Zandschulp quickly built a 6-0 lead. It eventually became 7-6(1). In the second set, the Dutch duo went through Malisse/Schwartzman’s serve at 2-1. The Dutchmen finished it off: 7-6 (1), 7-6 (7).
The Flemish government joins hands with the city of Antwerp through EventFlanders to make this top event possible. EventFlanders operates within Tourism Flanders, but is a collaboration between Tourism Flanders, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Culture, Youth and Media and Sport Vlaanderen.