David Goffin survived a topsy-turvy encounter with Nicolas Almagro to book his place in the fourth round of the French Open this evening.
© Getty Images
The five-set epic swung both ways before Goffin eventually ran out a 6-2 4-6 6-3 4-6 6-2 winner for his first career victory over the former world number nine.
Goffin made a quick start to the contest by breaking early to move into a 3-0 lead, and Almagro was not even given a chance against the serve until the seventh game of the opening set.
He was unable to take advantage of three break points, though, and dropped his own serve in the very next game as Goffin moved a set ahead in less than half an hour.
It was a different story in the second, though, and Almagro raced into a 4-0 lead to give himself hope of pulling the lost set back immediately.
Goffin went on to win the next three games, but it wasn't enough and the Spaniard successfully served out the set to level things up again.
It looked as though that momentum might be continuing when he broke early in the third set too, but Goffin again went on a mini run of four games in a row to regain control on his way to a 6-3 win.
Neither player won so much as a point against serve in the opening four games of the next set and it took until the final game for the first break point to be created, but Almagro made the most of it to restore parity at two sets each.
That took the contest to a decider, and Goffin ended the match as he had started it with a 6-2 victory courtesy of two breaks, sealing his place in the next round.
Goffin will next take on Ernests Gulbis at Roland Garros.
Barney Corkhill
