Goffin Makes It 10 in Monte-Carlo
David Goffin notched his 10th victory at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters (10-6) after 85 minutes on Monday, beating Argentine Guido Andreozzi 6-1, 6-4.
The 2017 semi-finalist played clinically under pressure, saving five of six break points en route to the second round. Two years ago, Goffin battled past Dominic Thiem and Novak Djokovic to reach the last four, where he was beaten by eventual champion Rafael Nadal.
After a run to the Round of 16 at the Miami Open presented by Itau last month (l. to Tiafoe), the 28-year-old Belgian is pushing for another deep run at an ATP Masters 1000 event, this tournament kicking off the European clay swing. Goffin will meet Serbian Dusan Lajovic in his next match, following the World No. 48’s 6-4, 6-4 win against Tunisian Malek Jaziri.
In the final match on Court Rainier III, Diego Schwartzman claimed 12 of 13 games from 4-6, 0-3 down to eliminate Kyle Edmund 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. The 2017 quarter-finalist awaits Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Taylor Fritz in the second round.
German Philipp Kohlschreiber will meet top seed Novak Djokovic after defeating Japanese Taro Daniel 6-1, 6-3. Last month at the BNP Paribas Open, Kohlschreiber stunned Djokovic 6-4, 6-4 to snap the World No. 1’s eight-match winning streak following the Serbian’s seventh Australian Open triumph.
Kazakh Mikhail Kukushkin also advanced to a high-profile second-round encounter. Kukushkin, who defeated Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4, will meet sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.