Participant Information
Goffin on Shanghai run: ‘I wish to present my daughter I can nonetheless play tennis’
Belgian reaches first ATP Masters QF since 2021
October 09, 2024

Lintao Zhang/Getty Photos
David Goffin upsets second seed Alexander Zverev on the Rolex Shanghai Masters.
By Jerome Coombe
David Goffin credit his resurgent kind on the Rolex Shanghai Masters to the need to show to his three-week-old daughter, Emma, that the extent of tennis that propelled him to No. 7 within the PIF ATP Rankings was nonetheless in attain.
Goffin produced a classic efficiency on Wednesday to upset second seed Alexander Zverev, prevailing 6-4, 7-5 to succeed in the quarter-finals of an ATP Masters 1000 for the primary time since 2021. The 33-year-old Belgian, who’s at present World No. 66, turned the fourth-lowest ranked quarter-finalist in Shanghai match historical past.
An unbelievable second for @David__Goffin as he stuns No. 2 seed Zverev 6-4 7-5.@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/nZU2LJq2e1
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 9, 2024
Having largely competed on the ATP Challenger Tour over the previous two years, Goffin has just lately begun to resurrect the shape that drove him to the ultimate of the Nitto ATP Finals in 2017.
“I needed to indicate my daughter that I could be a good tennis participant,” mentioned Goffin, who will face Taylor Fritz for a spot within the final 4. “We tried to search out just a few extra years to indicate her that I can nonetheless play tennis, and that’s the case for the second. Even when she doesn’t realise but, hopefully she is going to come and watch a bit of bit.
“Generally you will have doubts about your health and your head. For those who’re not 100 per cent there, mentally, it’s robust to compete with these guys – the extent is so excessive. I’ve put quite a lot of exhausting work in [over] the previous few months and there’s no [surprise] the tennis got here again and I’m actually completely happy to be again once more within the quarter-finals of an ATP Masters 1000.”
Goffin, who was hampered by accidents following the 2021 US Open, has proven glimpses of his finest tennis over the previous few months. After making the semi-finals on the Winston-Salem Open, Goffin produced a robust run to the third spherical at Flushing Meadows.
This week in Shanghai, Goffin ousted fifteenth seed Lorenzo Musetti in an exhilarating battle earlier than denying Zverev in his quest for a second title in 2024.
“I’ve constructed confidence from the start of the match. Match after match, I used to be taking part in higher and I simply got here on the courtroom and tried to play my finest tennis,” added Goffin. “[I tried] to stay to the plan that I had with my coach and it labored. Although he got here again with some good rallies, I simply tried to remain optimistic as a result of I used to be on the correct solution to successful the match. It paid off ultimately with a extremely good service recreation to complete, so I’m actually proud of the win.”