French qualifier Jeremy Chardy booked his place in the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament quarter-finals on Thursday by knocking out sixth seed and 2017 finalist David Goffin of Belgium 7-6(3), 7-6(5) in one hour and 44 minutes.
Chardy ended the five-match winning streak of Goffin, saving one set point in the first set against last week’s Open Sud de France champion. The 34-year-old Chardy, who has now won nine of 10 tie-breaks this year, will now play fourth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev for the fourth time (Rublev leads 2-1).
Goffin broke serve for a 6-5 lead in the first set, but could not convert a set point at Advantage in the next game with Chardy returning aggressively for a forehand volley winner. Chardy came alive in the tie-break at 3/3, with three consecutive winners — a forehand, forehand drive volley and a backhand slice. The World No. 64, who converted his second match point with a backhand return in the second set tie-break, struck 20 of 25 winners off his forehand wing.
“It was extremely difficult,” said Goffin. “No matter the score or the moment, Jeremy goes for it. He’s hit the ball really well since the start of the year. I had a set point, then a chance with a forehand volley, but I didn’t make it. He played really well in the first set tie-break, with three or four shots on the lines, and I think he deserved to win.”
Goffin, who lifted his fifth ATP Tour trophy on Sunday in Montpellier (d. Bautista Agut), is now 8-4 on the 2021 season.