Thiem loses 12 out of 14 games after taking 3-0 in the first set to exit London in painful defeat
Friday 17 November 2017 18:32, UK
David Goffin set up a semi-final date with Roger Federer at the ATP Finals after easing past an out-of-sorts Dominic Thiem 6-4 6-1 on Friday at The O2.
The Austrian made a bright start, winning 10 out of the first 11 points to surge into an early 3-0 lead before losing his concentration in spectacular fashion.
Goffin, though, hit a golden streak of his own, included taking an astonishing 15 points in a row.
He got on the board and then broke through himself following an error-strewn fifth game from his opponent before quickly levelling things up at 3-3 in the blink of an eye.
Thiem was showing signs of a lack of confidence and a ninth error from his racket handed the Belgian the lead. Goffin nailed a stunning forehand winner down the line to complete a remarkable turnaround in fortunes in a baffling set.
Fourth-seeded Thiem, who went the distance in his two group matched against Grigor Dimitrov and Pablo Carreno Busta, continued to struggle with fatigue playing a major factor.
Goffin took advantage of his opponent's self-inflicted collapse with a double break in the second set and it wasn't long before he wrapped up victory in 71 minutes to set up a date with six-time winner Federer on Saturday afternoon.
"It was a pity to play Dominic for a place in the semi-finals. He's such a good friend, but I had to stay calm and be ready for a tough battle," said Goffin, who became the first man ever from Belgium to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.
"I needed to be 110 per cent on the court to be ready for all my opponents. I hope I can do the same in the semi-finals. I played Roger so many times and it's always a tough match. I have nothing to lose so I will try to raise my level."
The good news for Goffin is that the match didn't test him at all. The way he's striking the ball gives him a real chance against Federer.
Goffin will face six-time champion Roger Federer in the semi-finals on Saturday afternoon. The Swiss world No 2 leads the head-to-head record 6-0. You can watch both semi-finals live on Sky Sports, with the action getting underway from midday.
The season-ending extravaganza ATP Finals ends another memorable year which will be covered via our website www.skysports.com/tennis with live blogs, reports, reaction and expert analysis as the season reaches its climax.
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