Classy Dimitrov thrashes Goffin to reach semis
Tournament debutant Grigor Dimitrov made light work of David Goffin to secure his place in the last four of the ATP Finals with a dominant 6-0 6-2 success.
The Bulgarian, who battled to a hard-fought 6-3 5-7 7-5 win over Dominic Thiem in his Pete Sampras Group opener, was in inspired form in London on Wednesday.
It took the sixth seed just 27 minutes to take the first set and, though Goffin avoided the humiliation of a double bagel, the second set was only a marginally less one-sided affair.
With Goffin having overcame the injury-stricken Rafael Nadal in his first outing, the seventh seed’s tournament is not yet over, but on this evidence he is not likely to threaten anyway.
Grigor Dimitrov emphatically claims his spot in the #NittoATPFinals semi-finals with a 6-0 6-2 win over David Goffin.
https://t.co/EFAhwobEGB pic.twitter.com/x7yyvrqlyD
— ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) November 15, 2017
Dimitrov – who reached the Australian Open semi-finals and claimed his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati in 2017 – started with a confident hold before immediately attacking the Goffin serve as an unforced error from the Belgian left him facing three break points.
World number six Dimitrov seized upon the second of those after his volley at the net proved too hot to handle.
The tone was set and Dimitrov refused to ease up, moving a double break up after a mammoth fourth game in which Goffin always looked the more likely to blink first.
And before the half-hour mark was up, Dimitrov was a set to the good, holding with ease before sealing yet another break with a crunching forehand that left Goffin’s head bowed.
Grigor gets off to a flying start!
Dimitrov takes the 1st set vs Goffin 6-0 in 27 minutes https://t.co/LH6hjMaGm9 pic.twitter.com/nk7g6HS5GM
— ATP World Tour (@ATPWorldTour) November 15, 2017
The errors continued to come from Goffin off both wings in set two, with Dimitrov also pouncing ruthlessly on a series of tame second serves.
While at one end there was a player combining power and precision, at the other was a man bereft of ideas and completely out of answers.
Inevitably Dimitrov was soon a break up and, after fending off a Goffin break point in game three, the winning line was coming quickly into sight.
Mercifully for Goffin he did get off the mark to break Dimitrov’s nine-game streak as an overhead smash also helped alleviate some pent-up frustration.
It was a moment of rare respite for him, though, and Dimitrov afforded his rival just one more game as he secured the victory in 74 minutes.
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
Dimtrov [6] bt Goffin [7] 6-0 6-2
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Dimitrov – 18/11
Goffin – 9/28
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Dimitrov – 2/1
Goffin – 2/5
BREAK POINTS WON
Dimitrov – 5/11
Goffin – 0/1
FIRST SERVE PERCENTAGE
Dimitrov – 57
Goffin – 56
PERCENTAGE OF POINTS WON ON FIRST/SECOND SERVE
Dimitrov – 83/55
Goffin – 63/20
TOTAL POINTS
Dimitrov – 66
Goffin – 38
