[10] David Goffin (BEL) vs. [57] Hyeon Chung (KOR)
This match had the potential to be a thriller; however, after a rather juicy start to the first set, things deteriorated quickly for the Korean. It’s always difficult to play Goffin and despite his lingering left knee injury, he continues to be a threat and Chung realized that soon after he got broken early in the first set.
Goffin is back in the top ten and winning the Rakuten Japan Open title earlier this month has given his confidence a much needed boost; thus, while he may have lost the last match they contested, he was better prepared for the challenge presented by the Korean. It was not an easy first set; yet, Goffin was the calmer of the two and actually, the better mover despite his knee issue. Chung just never seemed confident and struggled to hold his serve, which ultimately caused him to lose the match.
You will not win a match winning less than 50% of your second serve and if your first serve percentage is low to begin with, it’s a recipe for disaster. Against a player like Goffin, who can be so consistent off the ground, Chung needed to have a higher first serve percentage and he needed to win a higher percentage of points on his second serve; unfortunately, he did neither and he was constantly playing from behind, which made it a very stressful match for the NextGen star.
Chung was very competitive in the first set; however, his will to compete disappeared after he lost the set and it was a much easier second set for the Belgium. With the 6-4, 6-1 victory, he avenged his loss from earlier this season and moved on to the quarterfinals to play Jack Sock.
SOURCE OF IMAGE: Bing search (Zimbio.com)
