World number 72 Marco Cecchinato continued his fairy-tale clay season with a sensational 7-5 4-6 6-0 6-3 win against last year’s ATP Finals runner-up David Goffin in four sets in the fourth round in just his fourth Grand Slam tournament. It was an impressive achievement for the 25-year-old player from Palermo, who had never won a single Grand Slam main draw match before this year’s French Open.
Cecchinato started the 2018 clay season with just five wins in his 34 ATP Tour level matches. He started the Hungarian Open in Budapest as a lucky loser and and ended the tournament with his maiden ATP title. He became the first lucky loser to win an ATP Tour level since Leonardo Mayer in Hamburg 2017.
In the French Open Cecchinato came back from one set down to beat tenth-seed and last year’s US Open semifinalist Pablo Carreno Busta before today’s win over Goffin.
Cecchinato, who won just four of his first 32 tour-level matches, becomes just the second Italian player to reach a Grand Slam quarter final since Davide Sanguinetti achieved this feat at Wimbledon in 1998.
Cecchinato converted six of his 18 break points to beat Goffin after 2 hours and 18 minutes. Both players held serve until the 12th game, when Cecchinato got the break to win the first set 7-5, as Goffin missed three backhands. Cecchinato dropped just one point in his first three service games. The Italian earned five break points, but the Belgian player held serve to draw level to 3-3. Goffin brought up three break points and converted his second chance to take a 4-3 lead, when Cecchinato made a forehand error. Goffin clinched the second set with a first serve.
Cecchinato hit a forehand passing shot to break serve. He went up a double break to open up a 4-0 lead en route to closing out the third set by a bagel. Goffin bounced back to love with a backhand return in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. Cecchinato broke straight back to draw level to 3-3. He held his serve before breaking serve with a backhand and sealed the win four points later with another backhand.
“For me, it’s a dream. I’m very happy because in the first round I was two sets down and now I will play in the quarter-finals. Top beat David, who is one of the best players in the world, is a dream for me. It will be a pleasure to play against Novak in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros. This is the best moment of my life. Maybe it’s a dream, because now I am very happy for this match. Compared to the past I am focused on every point. One year ago I would have been happy with my result. After beating Carreno Busta, I wanted to continue playing in this tournament. The match against Marius Copil was very important. I am very confident”, said Cecchinato to atpworldtour.com.
Cecchinato achieved his maiden win against a top 10 player.
Cecchinato will have nothing to lose against 2016 Roland Garros champion Novak Djokovic for their first head-to-head match in the quarter finals in the French capital. The Serbian star has reached his ninth consecutive Roland Garros quarter final.
“It’s amazing. It’s a pleasure playing against Novak in the quarter finals at Roland Garros”, said Cecchinato.
Although they have never played in an official match, they have practised a lot in training in Monte-Carlo.
“I have practised with him many times in Monte-Carlo. He trained a lot where I live. We trained a lot on hard court and hard courts. We actually trained this year before the Monte-Carlo tournament.
Fabio Fognini will have the chance to join Cecchinato in the quarter final when he will face this year’s Australian Open runner-up Marin Cilic tomorrow. Cecchinato and Fognini have become the first Italian players to reach the fourth round at Roland Garros since Adriano Panatta and Corrado Barazzutti in 1976. That year Panatta won the French Open title.
Thanks to this win Cecchinato will move up to world number 42.
Djokovic said about his match against Cecchinato after his match against Fernando Verdasco.
“For Marco it will be a new experience. He will play relaxed and will try to play the match of his life. To pull out a big upset for Marco is quite impressive. Congratulations to him for a great tournament. He deserves respect and has nothing to lose in our next match. I will approach it very seriously ”, said Djokovic.
