"It will be a very comfortable, straight-sets win"
Saturday 18 November 2017 17:47, UK
Barry Cowan, Jamie Delgado and Annabel Croft feel six-time ATP Finals champion Roger Federer will "comfortably" defeat David Goffin in the knockout stages on Saturday - live on Sky Sports Arena from 12pm.
Goffin pummelled his good friend Dominic Thiem to advance, but now faces the daunting task of facing tournament favourite Federer.
The Belgian, who upset Nadal before the Spaniard pulled out injured, was soundly beaten in his previous round-robin match by group winner Grigor Dimitrov before pulling off the comprehensive win over the Austrian to make it through.
But he faces Federer, who topped the Boris Becker group and is unbeaten in the pair's last six meetings, including a 6-1 6-2 pounding in Basel just a few months ago.
"I'm not going to disagree with Roger. Not the one in English, the one in Swiss-German, when he said I'd much rather play Goffin," said Sky Sports analyst, Cowan.
"As well as Goffin returns, when Federer hits the spots with his serve, it's actually really difficult to put him under pressure.
"It will be a very comfortable, straight-sets win."
He [Goffin] doesn't have enough to beat Federer when he's playing at this level and this form - it's going to be another Federer win.
Andy Murray's coach, Delgado, added: "The meeting in Basel was so one-sided, and although Goffin is an unbelievable player, he doesn't have enough to beat Federer when he's playing at this level and this form - it's going to be another Federer win."
Croft also joined in the debate and the former British No 1 believes Goffin must up his levels "a few degrees" in order to stay competitive against the world No 2.
You have to be absolutely at the top of your game to be able to take him out.
"I think he said it himself, the level from what we saw today has to come up quite a few degrees," Croft told Sky Sports' host Marcus Buckland.
"You're taking on Roger Federer in almost his home country isn't it, he's had success on this very court and of course at Wimbledon, he has so much support here.
"The kind of tennis that he's putting out on the court, you are going to have to match it in every single department.
"There will still a few of those wobbly double faults weren't there that were coming in at some key moments. You have to be absolutely at the top of your game to be able to take him out.
"I can't really see it happening but let's wait and see."
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