Second seed David Goffin continued his bid for a second title at the Moselle Open after beating Nicolas Mahut on Friday. The Belgian World No. 14 needed just over two hours to top the home hope 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-4 and reach the semi-finals, where he will face another Frenchman, Lucas Pouille.
Goffin, the 2014 champion at this ATP World Tour 250 tournament, fired 10 aces and capitalised on four of his seven break point chances in his victory as he improved his record in Metz to 7-0.
“Nicolas really went for it from beginning to end, so it was not an easy match,” said Goffin. “I only played one bad game in the match but it really cost me. I found my rhythm in the third set. It felt good to get things under control again and finish the match well.”
Earlier, 22-year-old Pouille defeated compatriot Julien Benneteau 7-6(2), 4-6, 6-3. The World No. 18, currently at a career-high in the Emirates ATP Rankings, saved six of the seven break points he faced to advance in two hours and 20 minutes. Pouille was playing in his sixth quarter-final of 2016 and continued his bid for a first ATP World Tour title.
“It was a really high-quality match,” said Pouille. “His ranking really doesn’t reflect his level. I’m happy with how I played and how I stayed strong physically.”
It will be the third meeting between Pouille and Goffin. The Frenchman leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 2-0.
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