By Alberto Amalfi | Thursday, October 27, 2016
Wild card Juan Martin del Potro defeated David Goffin, 7-5, 6-3, to set up a Basel quarterfinal with third-seeded Kei Nishikori.
Photo credit: Beelde Images/ Daniel Huerlimann.
Basel is Roger Federer's home town and Juan Martin del Potro's stomping ground.
Federer's parents were on hand tonight to see two-time Basel champion Del Potro deny all four break points he faced defeating David Goffin, 7-5, 6-3, to extend his Swiss Indoors winning streak to 12 matches.
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Top-seeded Stan Wawrinka withstood a tough test from American qualifier Donald Young before prevailing 7-6 (4), 6-7 (3), 6-4. The US Open champion will face either Mischa Zverev or Guido Pella in the quarterfinals.
Fresh off his run to his first Stockholm title on Sunday—his first ATP championship in 33 months—del Potro stretched his winning streak to seven matches.
The Argentine wild card avenged his three-set loss to Goffin at the Shanghai Rolex Masters earlier this month and set up a highly-anticipated quarterfinal with third-seeded Kei Nishikori.
The 42nd-ranked del Potro is 4-0 against Nishikori, winning all 10 sets they've played. Their quarterfinal clash will be their first meeting since the 2012 Olympic quarterfinals on the grass of the All England Club.
The fifth-seeded Goffin's hopes of qualifying for the year-end ATP World Tour Finals took a bit of a hit.
The Belgian is currently in 10th place in the ATP Race to London 55 points ahead of Marin Cilic, who occupies the 11th spot. The top eight players will qualify for the season-ending event.
Cilic did not drop serve in a 6-0, 7-6 (4) victory over Pablo Carreño Busta snapping the Moscow champion's six-match winning streak.
The fourth-seeded Cilic moved on to a quarterfinal meeting with veteran Marcel Granollers.
The 30-year-old Spaniard smacked 10 aces and dropped just four points on his first serve dismissing eighth-seeded Jack Sock, 6-3, 6-1, in 56 minutes.
Del Potro was tested fending off four break points in the opening set. Regaining his rhythm, del Potro held for 6-5.
In the 12th game, Goffin blinked.
Down 0-30, the Belgian dragged an errant forehand well side. Goffin, who had not faced a break point for the entire set, was suddenly facing triple-set point.
Playing exclusively to del Potro's backhand, the Belgian felt the burn when del Potro danced around the backhand slashing an inside-out forehand to snatch the 50-minute first set.
Staring down break point in the fourth game, Goffin dodged trouble when del Potro barely missed the mark on a running forehand down the line.
A double fault put Goffin in trouble again. This time, del Potro spread the court with an inside-out forehand then vaporized a flat forehand down the line breaking for 3-1.
Del Potro closed in 90 minutes, raising his 2016 record to 30-11 and reaching his seventh quarterfinal of the season.
World No. 37 Gilles Muller fired 15 aces and won 29 of 30 first-serve points flying past Florian Mayer, 6-3, 6-2. Muller will meet Federico Delbonis for a semifinal spot.