World no. 66 David Goffin made a massive upset in the fourth round of the Shanghai Masters. The Belgian ousted world no. 3 Alexander Zverev 6-4, 7-5 in an hour and 56 minutes, moving into his first Masters 1000 quarter-final since Monte Carlo three years ago!
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David squandered match points against Rafael Nadal in Madrid in May 2022, losing ground at a Masters 1000 level after that setback and scoring only two wins at the premium ATP events prior to this week. The former world no.
7 stopped the clock against Zverev, celebrating his first top-5 win since toppling world no. 1 Carlos Alacaraz in Astana two years ago. Alexander struggled behind the second serve, facing 11 break points and getting broken four times.
The German created seven opportunities, converting two and ending his campaign in the fourth round. They hit a similar number of winners and unforced errors, and the stronger server created the edge in service winners and from the baseline.
However, David took charge and attacked the net, winning 27 of 33 points after rushing forward and earning the win in that segment. They were equally good in the shortest and most advanced rallies, and the lower-ranked player overpowered the two-time Major finalist in the mid-range ones.
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Alexander forced the rival's mistake in the first game of the encounter and generated a break chance in the next one. Goffin denied it and held after an entertaining point and a backhand crosscourt winner, avoiding an early setback.
Zverev played against three break points in the third game, falling on the last after Goffin's forehand attack and a volley winner. The German painted a forehand down the line winner in the fourth game, delivering a break at 15 and leveling the score at 2-2.
David passed Alexander at the net with a forehand down the line winner in the seventh game for a break point and converted it with a forehand down the line return winner that sent him 4-3 in front.
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David Goffin took down Alexander Zverev in straight sets at the Shanghai Masters.
World no. 66 produced a fine hold in the eighth game and made another push on the return in the next one. Zverev saved two break points and held, reducing the deficit to 5-4 and prolonging the action. Goffin left those chances behind and wrapped up the opener with a hold at love in game ten, forcing the rival's mistake and sealing the first part of the duel in 49 minutes.
The Belgian clinched an entertaining point in the third game of the second set, earning a break chance and seizing it after drawing the German's mistake, opening a set and a break advantage. David saved a break point in the fourth game and brought it home with a volley winner at the net, moving 3-1 in front and closer to the finish line.
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Goffin saved another break point in game six with a smash winner at the net, adding another volley winner to his tally and forging a 4-2 advantage. The lower-ranked player struggled again in the eighth game, squandering game points and getting broken, bringing his opponent back to the positive side.
Alexander struggled behind the initial shot in the ninth game, offering David three break points and standing on the verge of the exit door. Goffin attacked and generated three break points with winners and a forced error.
World no. 3 kept his composure, denying them with a forehand attack and two service winners. Zverev brought the game home with an ace, rattling off five points and generating a much-needed boost. World no. 66 painted a forehand down the line winner at 15-30 in the tenth game before facing a set point after the rival's sharp forehand return and a forehand crosscourt winner.
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The Belgian saved it with a forced error and held, locking the result at 5-5 and gaining confidence. David stepped in with his forehand on the return in the 11th game, causing Alexander's error for two break points and converting the first when world no.
3 sprayed a massive backhand error.
Goffin served for the win at 6-5 and landed a volley winner for 30-0. The lowe-ranked player forced a mistake from the favorite with another fine attack for three match points and seized the first after Zverev's forehand mistake, celebrating his most notable victory in two years.
Thus, the 33-year-old is through to his second Shanghai Masters quarter-final, reaching the first eight years ago. David debuted at this event in 2015 and played well a year later, ousting three rivals before falling to Andy Murray in straight sets.
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Goffin fell to Gilles Simon in the second round in 2017 and returned two years later. He challenged Roger Federer in the third round before suffering a 7-6, 6-4 loss. After struggling at a Masters 1000 level for years, David is back at his best, seeking the semi-final spot against the US Open finalist, Taylor Fritz.
