Andy Murray beats David Goffin to reach the quarter-finals of the Shenzhen Open
The 31-year-old Scot remains on course to regain the title his won in 2014 brushing off 70 per cent of break points faced and firing down 15 aces
Thursday 27 September 2018 17:34, UK
Andy Murray produced the most impressive win of his comeback from a hip problem by defeating David Goffin 6-3 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the Shenzhen Open.
Goffin entered the tournament as the number one seed and reigning champion but the Belgian, ranked 11th in the world, was dispatched in straight sets at an event Murray won four years ago.
It is the penultimate competition of the year for Murray, who has decided to play in the Shenzhen and China Opens before ending his season in order to work on improving the hip issue that has troubled his recent career.
"I felt like in terms of the way I hit the ball, it was the best I've played, and I think I knew that I was going to have to hit the ball very well if I wanted to win," said Murray, winner of the first Shenzhen Open in 2014.
"I love the conditions that we play in. Usually it's quite humid, and the courts are a little bit faster than what we usually play on the tour. I feel like I'm able to control the ball very well here."
There was little sign of discomfort as the world No 311 easily took the first set before surviving a late wobble in the second to close out a victory against a player to whom he had never lost in five previous meetings.
Former world No 1 Murray had struggled with the steamy conditions at the Shenzhen Longgang Sports Centre in his opening match against Chinese wildcard Zhang Zhizhen on Tuesday, dropping a set but then progressing when his opponent retired with cramp with the scoreline.
He gained an early foothold in the opening set when he broke Goffin in the fourth game and to underline his impressive form he took the next game easily.
Four aces strengthened Murray's challenge, but his poise deserted him in the seventh when Goffin broke back by dispatching the second serve at the crucial moment.
But regaining composure, the 31-year-old Scot immediately broke back before sealing the set at the second time of asking with another ace.
The one-way traffic continued into the second set as Murray raced 2-0 ahead, continuing to do considerable damage with his first serve.
Leading 5-1, however, he suffered a collapse that saw Goffin pull back to 5-4 and having saved three break points in the 10th, he served out for victory.
Next he will face fifth seed Fernando Verdasco, who beat the three-time Grand Slam champion at the US Open in August, after the Spaniard dispatched Taro Daniel of Japan, 3-6 6-2 7-5.
With the top seed gone, the tournament now opens up enticingly for Murray as Greek second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was also bundled out in the round of 16 by Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert, 6-3 7-6 (7-4).
Fellow British player Cameron Norrie also sent Croatian third-seed Borna Coric packing 6-4 7-6 (10-8) at the same stage.
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