Roger Federer on Victory Against David Goffin: “I was a Bit Fortunate to Win the First Set”

Number two seed Roger Federer digs deep to defeat David Goffin 7-6(7), 6-3 in just under 2 hours in the third round of the Shanghai Rolex Masters 2019 on Thursday. The Swiss maestro felt fortunate that he ended up on the winning side after fending off five-set points in the opening set.

The Swiss maestro was broken at 5-6 and the Belgian had the chance to serve out the first set after he earned three set points on his serve but the 38-year-old saved all the three set points and pulled in a rebreak.

Roger Federer then edged David Goffin in the tiebreaker, where he saved two more set points and went onto close the opening set at 9-7. However, the Basel native feels that he was lucky to win the first set as Goffin had more chances than him.

“It was tough,” Federer said. “He served for the set at 6-5. We both had chances but he probably had a few more I must admit.”

He further added: “I had to play some very accurate shots and it went very close to the lines. They could easily have gone another way I know that. I was a bit fortunate to win that first set but I played ok and I fought extremely hard.”

“Sometimes it falls your way. I have had a good season and served well at the end. The first set was certainly crucial to put me in the lead,” said the world No.3.

Roger Federer placed his trust in his experience and hit a number of excellent shots to defeat the 28-year-old and reached the quarterfinals of the penultimate masters 1000 event. The 38-year-old also praised Goffin for showcasing some high-quality tennis during the nearly two-hour match.

Federer added: “Of course that’s why I love playing on the courts because you get put in really awkward situations sometimes. It is filmed so we have it in the archives. He also hit a ridiculous shot in the second to last game which was cool.”

The 20-time Grand Slam champion will face the next-generation star and his Laver Cup teammate Alexander Zverev in the last eight of the Shanghai Masters 2019 on Friday.