Grigor Dimitrov outplays David Goffin to claim maiden World Tour Finals title
Grigor Dimitrov ensured that he made a perfect end to his 2017 season with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 win against David Goffin in the final of the ATP World Tour Finals in London. However, the win wasn’t an easy one for the Bulgarian as his Belgian opponent pushed to the very limits in the final yesterday.
While Dimitrov came into the final after dropping just two sets in four matches, Goffin had beaten both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer on his way to the last match of the tournament. While it was Dimitrov, who looked like the heavy favourite coming into the match, all preconceived notions were shattered quite early as Goffin broke the World No. 6 in the very first game of the match.
The Bulgarian fought back to level the set in the very next game but was broken back in the next one as the Belgian took control of the match. However, Dimitrov rallied back in the eighth game to level the set before the duo played out the best game of the match in the 12th. Goffin, serving to stay in the set, saved four set points in a 12 point rally before Dimitrov finally converted his fifth set point to take the lead in the game.
Realizing that it could possibly be the last set that he played in the 2017 World Tour Finals, Goffin upped his game – particularly his serving. The Belgian ace gave away just five points in his five service games while breaking his opponent in the seventh game of the second set. With 16 winners and just 6 unforced errors, Goffin levelled the match up at one set apiece much to the delight of a packed crowd at the O2 Arena.
The third set started off with “Baby Federer” having to save four break points in a 15 point game before taking a 1- 0 lead in the decider. It appeared that all the momentum that Dimitrov had built en route to the final had disappeared as Goffin grew into the game. But as the decider went on Dimitrov started playing the kind of tennis that had made him a favourite for the title in London. He got the break he was looking for in the sixth game of the match, and even though Goffin saved four match points, three on his own serve, Dimitrov secured the Finals by winning the decider 6-3.
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