The London pursuit for former ATP Nitto Finals runner-up David Goffin has been put off for awhile after he fell to America’s Reilly Opelka in three sets on Thursday in Basel.
The Belgian couldn’t survive against the big-serving Opelka, who hit 29 aces and won of 84% on first service points. Goffin had two break point opportunities which he couldn’t exploit, however, one break point chance was enough for his opponent to get the break in the third to finish it 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 7-5. The ATP Finals contender is eleventh in the race to London with 2,325 points after his latest loss. Making it harder for him to qualify as he probably needs to reach Paris Masters final and wait for others’ losses.
Ninth in the race to the O2 Arena, Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, is still chasing first debut at the ATP Finals as he fought on Thursday to get victory over the Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in three sets. It was a special win for the Spaniard as he hasn’t only boosted his chances to reach London Finale, having 2,530 points now, but also has been the ninth player to reach 40th win of this season so far. Bautista Agut has to work hard on his returning skills very well before he faces big-serving Opelka on Friday in a real challenge.
There is a big disappointment for Stan Wawrinka, who will not to play an all-Swiss quarter-finals against countryman Roger Federer in Basel in front of his home crowd. Wawrinka has displayed some of his best form on court in recent days, but has had to pull out of the tournament with back pain injury. Earlier on Thursday, he fought in a 3-set thriller match that could be seen as the best match in Basel this year so far, against the American Frances Tiafoe to claim his victory 6-3, 3-6, 7-5. Wawrinka has been playing really consistently these two weeks. Should he be able to catch Paris Masters and play his best game, he could be a potential chaser to the ATP season Finale in London. Wawrinka is fourteenth with 1,910 points in the race after Thursday’s win.
Fabio Fognini suffered an upset when he lost to the Serb Filip Krajinovic in two sets 6-2, 6-4. The Italian seemed like if he wasn’t finding his game very well in the beginning of the first set where he committed 23 unforced errors to just 2 for his opponent. He’s nailed eleventh in the race to London with 2,280 points while he would lose that position to twelfth Gaëll Monfils with 2,260 points, should the Frenchman get past Bedene in his next match in Vienna. Monfils cruised into Vienna’s quarter-finals after beating Italy’s Jannik Sinner in straight sets 6-3 7-6(8).
Elsewhere in Vienna, Diego Schwartzman turned the match from a set down into a 2-1 victory over America’s Sam Querrey 6-7(5) 6-4 7-6(5). The Argentine is fifteenth now in the race to London with 1,905 points. He will next play Russia’s Karen Khachanov, who is sixteenth with 1,830 points in the quarter-finals.
