David Goffin came back from one set down to beat Robin Haase 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam.
Haase converted his second break point chance at deuce in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead and served out the first set on his set point.
Goffin broke serve on his fourth chance at deuce in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. Haase broke straight back at deuce and held his serve at 15 to draw level to 3-3. The second set went on serve en route to the tie-break. Goffin won three of the next four games to win the tie-break 7-5. Goffin earned his the only break of the third set and saved both break points he faced in the eighth and tenth games to win the third set 6-4. Goffin scored his seventh head-to-head win in eight matches against Haase.
The Belgian player has won 8 of his 11 matches this year and reached the semifinal in Montpellier last week. Goffin will face last November’s Next Gen ATP Finals champion Jannik Sinner, who reached the second round without playing when Radu Albot withdrew from the match due to illness.
The winner of the match between Goffin and Sinner will take on Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta in the quarter final.
Gilles Simon battled past Mikhail Kukushkin 7-6 (7-3) 3-6 6-3 after 2 hours and 41 minutes to reach the second round Kukushkin fended off four break points at 1-2 in the first set, which went on serve en route to the tie-break. Kukushkin took a 3-2 led before Simon reeled off five consecutive points to win the tie-break 7-3 after 61 minutes.
Kukushkin went up a 5-1 lead with a double break. Simon pulled one break back in the seventh game. Kukushkin converted his second set point at deuce to force the match to the third set.
Both players traded breaks in the first two games of the third set. Simon earned the crucial break in the fifth game of the decider to take a 3-2 lead. The French 35-year player saved four break points to hold his serve in the eighth game before hitting a backhand winner down the line on his first match point in the ninth game.
