mtenis.com.pl

David Goffin was perplexed.

After he reached the Nitto ATP Finals semi-finals, the Belgian was asked what he would have to do to beat Roger Federer for the first time in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. Goffin had been 0-6 against the Swiss, including a 6-1, 6-2 loss in the semi-finals of the Swiss Indoors Basel last month.

“Honestly, I don't know what to do tomorrow,” Goffin said.

The Belgian did some quick thinking. Goffin shocked Federer on Saturday, coming back from a set down to eliminate the second seed and pick up his first win against Federer, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Goffin, who qualified for the season finale for the first time, will play for the biggest title of his career on Sunday. The Belgian has won four ATP World Tour crowns, including an ATP World Tour 500-level title at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2017 last month.

But the 26-year-old had never reached a bigger title match, either at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event, a Grand Slam or the Nitto ATP Finals. On Sunday, Goffin will meet either Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov or Jack Sock of the United States.

“For the first time I played my best tennis, and I played a little bit more relaxed after the first set. I started to feel the ball really well for the first time, and continued to serve and played my best tennis today,” Goffin said.

The Belgian hinted that he might have a preference as to who he faces on the final day of the 2017 season. The seventh seed faced Dimitrov in Group Pete Sampras play and fell 6-0, 6-2.

“If you watched some matches this week you know the answer,” Goffin said, smiling.

The Belgian is 1-4 against Dimitrov in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, but 3-0 against Sock in their past meetings.

Regardless of Sunday's result, though, this has already been the best week of Goffin's career. He started his stay at The O2 by celebrating his biggest win by ranking, a 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-4 upset against World No. 1 Rafael Nadal. Goffin then had a blip, falling to Dimitrov in only 75 minutes. But he rallied on Friday to beat Dominic Thiem in straight sets and qualify for the semi-finals, and Goffin again summoned his best tennis to beat Federer.

Goffin becomes the first player to beat the Top 2 players at the Nitto ATP Finals since 2009, when champion Nikolay Davydenko beat No. 2 Nadal in group play and No. 1 Federer in the semi-finals.

Goffin is the sixth player ever to beat Nadal and Federer in the same tournament and the first since Novak Djokovic at the 2015 Nitto ATP Finals.

“Both are really special. It was the first time against Rafa. Then the semi-final for the first time for me here, and to beat Roger for the first time here in such a big event, big tournament, it was the perfect moment,” Goffin said.

Players To Beat Rafa and Roger At The Same Tournament
Player Tournament
David Goffin 2017 Nitto ATP Finals
Novak Djokovic 2015 Nitto ATP Finals
Novak Djokovic 2013 Nitto ATP Finals
Novak Djokovic 2011 BNP Paribas Open
Novak Djokovic 2011 US Open
Nikolay Davydenko 2010 Qatar ExxonMobil Open
Andy Murray 2010 Rogers Cup
Juan Martin del Potro 2009 US Open
Nikolay Davydenko 2009 Nitto ATP Finals
David Nalbandian 2007 Mutua Madrid Open
Novak Djokovic 2007 Coupe Rogers
David Nalbandian 2007 Rolex Paris Masters

Goffin, though, first had to halt Federer's momentum. The six-time Nitto ATP Finals champion had raced through the first set, cutting shoestring volleys for winners and blistering backhands to take the lead after only 33 minutes.

It was the ninth consecutive set Federer had won against Goffin, and the Swiss improved to 15-2 in sets against the Belgian.

But Goffin responded immediately. He held and then broke Federer, seizing his first break point to lead 2-0. Goffin also gradually steadied his game. He had spilled 13 unforced errors in the first set, but in the second, he hit only seven as he evened their semi-final contest by holding to love.

“I started to feel the ball better at the end of the first set, so I wanted to be more aggressive. As soon as I had the chance to go for the shot from the return and from the serve, [that] was the key, to go for the shot,” Goffin said. “It paid off. I started to serve well. My forehand was going much better. I was really aggressive. I came to the net.”

Both of Goffin's earlier wins in London had come in three sets, and he has thrived in close matches all year. He entered Saturday 21-5 in deciding sets.

It was no different against Federer. Goffin broke in the third game and again served out the set, dropping his racquet and staring at his team after clinching his first match point.

Twenty-four hours after saying he had no idea how to beat Federer, Goffin had pulled off one of the best wins of his life and one of the upsets of the 2017 season.

“Yeah, he played better. That was a good plan,” Federer said, smiling. “It's that simple.”

It isn’t that long ago that David Goffin faced one of the scariest moments of his career.

An innocuous-looking slide in his third-round match on the terre battue at Roland Garros turned into a disaster. The Belgian got his right foot stuck under the tarp at the back of the court, injuring his ankle. Goffin immediately retired from the match and would miss Wimbledon. There was no way he would recover to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals.

But then he did. And then the 26-year-old beat Rafael Nadal in round-robin play. And then Goffin defeated Roger Federer for the first time in seven tries in the semi-finals, becoming just the sixth player to take down both Nadal and Federer in the same event. Nikolay Davydenko was the last player to defeat the Top 2 in the Emirates ATP Rankings at the season finale, doing so in 2009.

“I have no words,” Goffin said. “I cannot describe how I am feeling for the moment, But so much joy, so much happiness. I’m so happy to play the match I played in front of you against Roger. It was such a special moment. It’s unbelievable. I cannot describe.”

All of a sudden, that tarp at Roland Garros seems like a distant memory.

After the US Open, where the right-hander reached the Round of 16 for the first time, Goffin sat in 13th in the Emirates ATP Race To London, behind the likes of Pablo Carreno Busta, Sam Querrey and Kevin Anderson. But after pushing through the grind of seven tournaments, including back-to-back titles in Shenzhen and Tokyo, the Belgian secured his place in London for the first time after appearing as an alternate last season.

That already was impressive enough, and without a doubt the greatest achievement in Goffin’s career. But since, he has gone on one of the most unlikely journeys to the championship match of the Nitto ATP Finals in recent memory.

The Belgian entered the week 0-8 combined against Nadal and Federer, losing all four career sets against the top seed and his past eight against the six-time season finale champion. Yet days after saying he earned the best win of his career against Nadal in his first round-robin match, he came from a set down to oust Federer.

“Both are really special. It was the first time against Rafa. Then the semi-final for the first time for me here, and to beat Roger for the first time here in such a big event, big tournament, it was the perfect moment,” Goffin said. “It is the best win of my career, for sure.”

Now, depending on who wins Saturday’s second semi-final between Grigor Dimitrov and Jack Sock, Goffin can soar to a career-high of No. 4 or No. 5 in the rankings on Monday if he captures his biggest title yet. He then will lead Belgium in the Davis Cup Final next weekend in attempt to earn his country’s first trophy.

But for now, all of Goffin’s focus is on the task at hand — doing everything he can to win the Nitto ATP Finals.

“I have the chance to play another match. If it's Grigor, against him, I hope to play the tennis I played today. I'll try to be more aggressive, also go for shots, go for the trophy,” said Goffin, who won just two games against the Bulgarian in group play. “We will see. I will try something different than in the group [play]. But it won't be difficult to do better than on Wednesday.”

On the other hand, Goffin has won all three matches in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series against Sock, dropping just one set four years ago in Winston-Salem. The Belgian ousted the American in Basel, on an indoor hard court like at The O2, just weeks ago.

“I'm sure I have the game to beat him because I did it in Basel,” Goffin said. “I can take the ball early. I can make him run a lot. He likes to have time to play some heavy forehand. I play faster. I take the ball early. He has a lot of backhand to hit. I'm sure he doesn't like to play against me. We will see. It's a final. So against both players, it will be tough.”

Whatever happens, one thing is for sure. After Goffin slid into one of his lowest lows earlier this season, the seventh seed has risen to by far his greatest peak.

Federer at the Nitto ATP Finals
An unexpected loss is easier to understand once you connect the statistical dots.
David Goffin stunned Roger Federer 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 to move through to the final of the Nitto ATP Finals at The O2 after starting slow, but running all over the six-time champion at the finish line.
The opening set was all Federer, and then the pendulum swung towards the Belgian as he broke for a 2-0 lead in the second set, and then again for a 2-1 lead at the beginning of the third. Set one looked nothing like sets two and three as Federer went from dictating points with authority to spraying loose balls with dismay.
In the first set, Federer laid down the law. He attacked at will, felt the magnetism of the baseline, and forced a nervous Goffin to miss balls he would normally make in his sleep. But in sets two and three, it was Goffin who relaxed more, upped his power level, and forced Federer to miss balls he routinely made in set one.
There were five metrics from the match that clearly showed the obvious difference in who controlled the strategic flow of points from set one to the last two sets.

1. Goffin: Average 2nd Serve Return Speed
Second serves are the real battleground in tennis, and Federer won a lot of these points on serve early in the match, forcing a slower Goffin return from a more confident second serve delivery. That changed dramatically the longer the match unfolded.
Goffin Average 2nd Serve Return Speed / Federer 2nd Serve Win Percentage
• Set 1 = Goffin 64mph average / Federer won 88%
• Set 2 = Goffin 71mph average / Federer won 50%
• Set 3 = Goffin 76mph average / Federer won 45%
It’s clear to see that the bolder Goffin became attacking Federer’s second serve, the better off he was. Goffin started too passive in this key area, but owned Federer by the end of the match by attacking it with his feet well inside the baseline, and with his hands, rifling powerful returns right back at the Swiss star.
2. Average Backhand Speed
These numbers clearly show who was leaning on who as the match unfolded. In the opening set, Federer had a one mile per hour advantage (68mph to 67mph) in average backhand speed, mainly because of several blistering backhands down the line. But by set three, Goffin was enjoying a 13mph advantage (70mph to 57mph) in this critical battleground.
Goffin Average Backhand Speed
• Set 1 = 67mph
• Set 2 = 68mph
• Set 3 = 70mph
Federer Average Backhand Speed
• Set 1 = 68mph
• Set 2 = 63mph
• Set 3 = 57mph
3. Goffin: Average Return Net Clearance
In the opening set, Goffin was returning the ball higher over the net against both Federer’s first and second serves compared to sets two and three. You could clearly see that he was defensive in set one, hoping to neutralise the point much more than initially taking the battle right back at Federer. Goffin found his offensive range much better in sets two and three.
Goffin Average Return Net Clearance - vs. 1st Serves
• Set 1 = 1.15m
• Set 2 = 0.71m
• Set 3 = 0.93m
Goffin Average Return Net Clearance - vs. 2nd Serves
• Set 1 = 1.02m
• Set 2 = 0.69m
• Set 3 = 0.82m
4. Average Rally Net Clearance
As Goffin’s confidence increased as the match developed, the harder he pounded his ground strokes. An insightful measurement of this dynamic was net clearance. The longer the match went, the lower Goffin played over the net - and the higher Federer was forced to play as a result.
Goffin Average Net Clearance
• Set 1 = 0.75m
• Set 2 = 0.70m
• Set 3 = 0.59m
Federer Average Net Clearance
• Set 1 = 0.63m
• Set 2 = 0.74m
• Set 3 = 0.75m
5. Average Groundstroke Speed
Hitting the ball harder forces more errors, takes precious tenths of seconds away from the opponent’s shot preparation, and creates a better chance of getting the ball past the outstretched racquet of the opponent for a winner. Like most metrics in this match, Goffin improved in the area from start to finish, which forced Federer the other way.
Goffin Average Groundstroke Speed
• Set 1 = 69mph
• Set 2 = 70mph
• Set 3 = 73mph
Federer Average Groundstroke Speed
• Set 1 = 70mph
• Set 2 = 66mph
• Set 3 = 68mph
The scoreboard shows us that Federer started strong, but it was Goffin who took the honours at the end of the match. It’s only when we break down the overall result into specific tactical metrics that we really understand why Goffin ultimately triumphed.

Even in defeat, the Belgian's self-belief soars after his biggest career final

The final hurdle may have proven one too many for David Goffin at the Nitto ATP Finals, but the lithe Belgian’s confidence has never been higher as he leaves London. Only an inspired Grigor Dimitrov would bring his first campaign as an outright qualifier to an end.
No man had beaten Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the same event and fallen short of claiming the title. But Goffin was not bitter – he was only drawing positives from the biggest week of his career.
“No, it's not unfair,” Goffin said. “I think I deserve the win today, of course. But Grigor also, he deserves the win. He was unbeatable this week. He played really great tennis, was really solid from the first match until the end. So he deserves completely to be here and to win the tournament.
“Even if I won against Rafa and Roger, I lost the final. But anyway, it was a great week. So I have no regrets after that match.”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Hear Him Roar, Title Belongs To Grigor!

Dimitrov’s 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 triumph meant he was the only man to beat Goffin all tournament. He also won the pair’s round-robin clash for the loss of just two games.
Goffin became the first Belgian man to beat a No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings when he upset Nadal first up, before his convincing defeat to Dimitrov. He surged into his maiden Nitto ATP Finals semi-final with an emphatic win over No. 4 seed Dominic Thiem before overturning a 0-6 FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Federer in the semi-finals.
It made him just the sixth man to beat Federer and Nadal in the same event and the first since Djokovic to do so at the 2015 Nitto ATP Finals.
“I think after this week I'm a better player mentally,” Goffin said. “Obviously mentally, but also physically. It was tough. “I proved to myself that I can do it. I was at the right place because sometimes you are for the first time in the Top 8, you don't know how it's going to go, if you're going to play a good level.
“I proved to myself that I'm in the right place, and I deserve to be here in this tournament. Then match after match, I took more confidence until the final. So I'm proud of what I've achieved, even if I'm disappointed about the final. “I gave everything. I have no regrets after the final. Anyway, it was a great week.”
It caps a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for the 26-year-old, following a freak mid-season setback when he tripped on the court covers during a third-round clash with Horacio Zeballos at Roland Garros and was forced to retire with an ankle injury.
After starting the year with a quarter-final run at the Australian Open and having reached back-to-back finals in Sofia (l. Dimitrov) and Rotterdam (l. to Tsonga) it was a cruel blow and meant he would miss Wimbledon. He found form after the US Open when he snapped a six-match losing streak in finals to claim back-to-back titles at Shenzhen (d. Dolgopolov) and Tokyo (d. Mannarino).
Where a well-earned break is in order for most of his peers, Goffin is not quite done. He will make his way to Lille now for Belgium’s second Davis Cup final in three years where his nation will face the might of France.
Regardless of whether his team leaves France with the silverware, 2017 has already proven to Goffin he’s in the right place and he deserves to be there.

- Jestem dumny z tego, co osiągnąłem. Dałem z siebie wszystko. Nie czuję rozczarowania, nawet pomimo porażki w finale - mówił David Goffin po porażce w meczu o tytuł Finałów ATP World Tour 2017.

Marcin Motyka
Marcin Motyka
20 Listopada 2017, 08:20
Udostępnij 16 Tweetnij Skomentuj 2

Getty Images / Clive Brunskill / Na zdjęciu: David Goffin
David Goffin miał najtrudniejszą z możliwych drogę do finału londyńskiego turnieju. W fazie grupowej uporał się z Rafaelem Nadalem, a w półfinale wyeliminował Rogera Federera. W finale zmierzył się z Grigorem Dimitrowem i po dwuipółgodzinnej batalii przegrał 5:7, 6:4, 3:6.


Finały ATP World Tour: Grigor Dimitrow wytrzymał presję. Bułgar triumfatorem turnieju Masters
- To był bardzo trudny mecz - mówił na konferencji prasowej Goffin. - Chciałem być agresywny i dobrze serwować. W trzecim secie czułem się zmęczony. W gemie, w którym on mnie przełamał, źle serwowałem. A kiedy masz kłopoty z podaniem, trudno grać agresywnie.

Dla tenisisty z Rocourt był to debiut w Finałach ATP World Tour. Został także pierwszym reprezentantem swojego kraju, który zagrał w tym turnieju. - To był dla mnie wspaniały tydzień. Z każdym meczem aż do finału nabierałem większej pewności. Jestem dumny z tego, co osiągnąłem. Dałem z siebie wszystko. Nie czuję rozczarowania, nawet pomimo porażki w finale.

- Udowodniłem sobie, że to dla mnie właściwe miejsce - kontynuował. - Myślę, że po występie w tym turnieju stałem się lepszym tenisistą, zwłaszcza pod względem mentalnym. A wciąż rozwijam swoją grę. Lepiej serwuję, jestem bardziej agresywny i uważam, że stać mnie, by jeszcze poprawić te elementy.

- Gratuluję Grigorowi, który rozegrał fantastyczny turniej. W tym tygodniu był nie do pokonania - dodał Goffin.

Belgium looks to upset France in Davis Cup final
Fresh off his run to the championship match at the Nitto ATP Finals, where he defeated both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, David Goffin will look to lead Belgium to a historic Davis Cup victory this weekend against France in Lille.
Up to a career-high No. 7 in the Emirates ATP Rankings after his impressive run at The O2 last week, the 26-year-old Goffin will look to inspire his nation to a first Davis Cup title. Belgium finished runner-up in 1904 and more recently in 2015, when it was beaten on home soil by an Andy Murray-led Great Britain.
Goffin is joined on the away team by stalwart Steve Darcis, who won the decisive fifth rubber against Jordan Thompson in Belgium’s victory over Australia in September.
View Davis Cup Scores & Schedule
But the duo faces a tough task in France, represented by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Lucas Pouille, Richard Gasquet and Pierre-Hugues Herbert, and in front of a partisan 27,500-capacity crowd at the Stade Pierre Mauroy. The French fans will be out in force to see their team attempt to clinch the ITF men’s team trophy for the 10th time.
France is looking to reclaim the Davis Cup crown for the first time since 2001, having fallen in the final in 2014 (l. to Switzerland), 2010 (l. to Serbia) and 2002 (l. to Russia).
Pouille will open the tie for the host nation when he faces his good friend Goffin, before Tsonga takes on Darcis in the second of Friday’s singles rubbers.
“We’re friends and I’m sure we’ll be friends after the match as well,” Goffin said. “I’ve never beaten Lucas so I will try to find a solution to find my best tennis.
“I’m happy to start the first match again,” Goffin added. “I spoke with Steve beforehand and he preferred that I start and he played second. It won’t be easy, two years ago I played first in the final and I was tired. This time I will try to be a little more relaxed and play as good match as I can from the start.”
Gasquet steps in to replace Mahut alongside Herbert in the doubles for France on Saturday. They will face Ruben Bemelmans and Joris De Loore, who is returning from knee surgery in September. “I haven’t played any tournaments since the operation (after the US Open), but I’ve worked hard and practice is going well,” said World No. 276 De Loore. “My knee feels 100 per cent and I feel 100 per cent going into this weekend.”
The reverse singles could decide proceedings on Sunday.

France clinched its first Davis Cup championship in 16 years Sunday at home in Lille, but Belgium's David Goffin didn't make it easy.

Goffin stands 5-foot-11, and he looks even smaller thanks to his fighting weight of 150 pounds, but he played with considerably more heft in Lille. He kept the underdog Belgians in contention until the fifth and final match, logging high-quality singles wins over Lucas Pouille and, in the critical fourth-match battle between the countries' No. 1 players, power-serving veteran Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Belgium's David Goffin pumps his fist after defeating France's Lucas Pouille in a Davis Cup final singles match. Goffin won both of his matches, but France claimed the championship 3-2. AP Photo/Michel Spingler

This is becoming business as usual for the 26-year-old Belgian. His Davis Cup record for the year (all in singles) is 6-0. In addition to the Frenchmen, that includes a win over heavily hyped Australian Nick Kyrgios. Goffin arrived in Lille fresh off his surprising runner-up finish at the ATP World Tour Finals, propelled by back-to-back wins in London over Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer and sporting a career-high ranking of No. 7.

After Goffin lost an excruciatingly close WTF final in London to Grigor Dimitrov, he told reporters that he was a "better player, mentally." But he was quick to add that he was also stronger physically. That wasn't necessarily an easy sell, because Goffin perpetually looks like he could use a decent meal. But the fleet and frail-looking right-hander powered through the last event on the tennis calendar for 2017 like an ironman.

It's remarkable how far Goffin has progressed since the world first noticed him, a 21-year-old lucky loser whose appearance in the fourth-round of the French Open struck some as a prank. His opponent was the man whose likeness dominated the wall of young David Goffin's bedroom, Federer.

Goffin was a great source of amusement in that match, but he also provided a preview of what was to come -- albeit gradually -- in that encounter. He was nimble, creative and armed with all the shots. His weaknesses were his size and lack of power, but over time Goffin has turned his quickness and variety into the weapon pundits once said he lacked.
Goffin notched his first victory over Roger Federer in the semifinals of the ATP World Finals in London. Hongbo Chen/Action Plus via Getty Images

"Goffin finds ways to take time away from his opponents, and he's always moving forward," Tennis Channel commentator James Blake said on air.

"I played deeper and faster," Goffin said about his win against Tsonga, providing a Cliff Notes summary of his game.

That game hit full bloom this year, after Goffin was forced off the tour for more than six weeks by an ankle injury he suffered in the course of his third-round match at the French Open. He was ranked No. 14 when he returned in late July, but in the fall he won back-to-back events, in Shenzhen and Tokyo, for his first wins after six consecutive losses in finals. In October, his losing streak to former idol Federer stretched to six matches in the semifinals at Basel, but Goffin turned the tables on the ATP's No. 2 at the World Tour Finals.

For years now, pundits and even many coaches have been saying that big men (6-foot-3 and taller) are inevitably taking over the game. While there's some evidence for that (6-foot-6 Alexander Zverev already is ranked No. 4, and has been as high as No. 3, at age 20), the reality is that tennis has a rich, continuous history of successful "small" men. At 6-foot-1, neither Federer nor Nadal qualify as big men.

Moreover, fans and the media love the little guys and the underdog aura that surrounds them, especially when they are successful. David Ferrer, much loved and once ranked as high as No. 3, is 36 years old and fading. He is 5-foot-9 but outweighs Goffin by 10 pounds.

Tennis may have found its new David Ferrer in Goffin.

Tenisista David Goffin został wybrany najlepszym sportowcem 2017 roku w Belgii. U pań równych sobie nie miała lekkoatletka Nafissatou Thiam.
Rafał Smoliński
Rafał Smoliński
17 Grudnia 2017, 19:35
Udostępnij 0 Tweetnij Skomentuj 0

Getty Images / Julian Finney / Na zdjęciu: David Goffin

Patrick Mouratoglou: Nick Kyrgios nie wygra tytułu wielkoszlemowego, ponieważ nie pracuje wystarczająco ciężko
Wyboru sportowców roku w Belgii dokonali dziennikarze. U panów aż 1349 punktów otrzymał David Goffin, który wyprzedził kolarza Grega van Avermaeta (848 puntów) i piłkarza Kevina de Bruyne'a (338 punktów). 27-letni tenisista wygrał w sezonie 2017 dwa turnieje ATP oraz dotarł do finału kończącego rok turnieju Masters. Bardzo dobre wyniki pozwoliły mu awansować na siódmą pozycję w rankingu ATP.
Z kolei u pań najlepsza okazała się Nafissatou Thiam. Utytułowana siedmioboistka, aktualna mistrzyni olimpijska i świata, po raz trzeci otrzymała to wyróżnienie (wcześniej w 2014 i 2016 roku). Dziennikarze przyznali jej aż 1391 punktów. Drugie miejsce zajęła gimnastyczka Nina Derwael (837 punktów), zaś trzecia koszykarka Emma Meesseman (385 punktów).

Drużyną roku została reprezentacja Belgii w Pucharze Davisa, która dotarła do wielkiego finału, lecz przegrała na wyjeździe z Francją 2:3. Nagrodzono również rowerzystkę Lotte Kopecky (talent roku), szkoleniowca Nafissatou Thiam - Rogera Lespagnarda (trener roku) i lekkoatletę Petera Genyna (paraolimpijczyk roku).

Most players would cherish the individual honours that David Goffin amassed in 2017.

In February, the skillful Belgian became the first man from his nation to achieve a top-10 ranking. By November, he’d defeated Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer en route to the Championship match at the ATP Tour Finals, consolidating that upper-echelon position to finish the year at a career-high world No.7.

But it’s while representing his nation that Goffin has thrived the most. Not only was the fiercely-patriotic 27-year-old unbeaten in six singles rubbers contested in 2017, but he’s 14-1 in the competition for the past three years.

In that time, Goffin has twice led the small European nation to the Davis Cup final, Goffin’s only singles loss occurring against world No.2 Andy Murray as Great Britain claimed a long-awaited title in 2015.

In 2017, Goffin claimed straight-sets wins over Italians Paolo Lorenzi an Andreas Seppi in the quarterfinals and sealed Belgium’s come-from-behind win over Australia in the semifinals staged in Brussels.

With Belgium trailing 1-2 on the third day Goffin stunned Nick Kyrgios – who was also unbeaten in 2017 singles rubbers until then – for the first time in three matches to turn his nation’s fortunes around.

“When he is playing at that level he is up there with the best in the world,” said the disappointed but gracious Kyrgios of his inspired opponent.

“He served unbelievably well today. He was moving great, hitting great. He was too good.”

Goffin was also “too good” for Lucas Pouille and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final against France, defeating each of those highly-credentialled opponents in straight sets.

While it was ultimately another finals loss for Belgium – Goffin recording the nation’s only wins – it also provided an important marker of a career-best season for the increasingly-influential star.

Other high points were a quarterfinal run at the Australian Open, and late-season titles in Tokyo and Shenzhen.

There was also a career-defining run at the prestigious ATP Finals in London, where he stunned Nadal in the opening round robin match before a semifinal win over Federer – his first over the Swiss star in seven matches.

After losing to Grigor Dimitrov in the final, Goffin noted the impressive progress he’d made.

“I proved to myself that I can do it. I was at the right place because sometimes you are for the first time in the Top 8, you don’t know how it’s going to go, if you’re going to play a good level,” he said.

“I proved to myself that I’m in the right place, and I deserve to be here in this tournament.”

Most impressive, perhaps, was his perseverance after suffering a serious accident mid-year. Goffin progressed easily to the third round at Roland Garros but competing against Horacio Zeballos, he tripped on a tarpaulin stored at the back of the court.

The subsequent ankle injury forced him to immediately withdraw from that match and miss the entire grass court season, including Wimbledon, the Belgian absent from the tour for close to two months.

There was no sign of any physical compromise as the light-footed Belgian – who at 68kg is the lightest man in the Mastercard Hopman Cup 2018 field – hit career-best form in the final months of the year.

And the hugely talented Goffin will be determined to capitalise on that momentum in his nation’s seventh appearance at the Hopman Cup.

Partnered by debutante Elise Mertens, who has also thrived in Fed Cup, amassing a 3-0- singles record in her 2017 debut, you can’t help thinking that Goffin’s tendency to save his best for Belgium is a quality that could be rubbing off.

Belgium opens its Mastercard Hopman Cup 2018 campaign against Germany in the evening session on Monday 1 January.