World number three Carlos Alcaraz faced a surprising early elimination from the Miami Open on Friday as Belgian veteran David Goffin rallied to secure a remarkable 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 victory at Hard Rock Stadium.
The 34-year-old Goffin had previously defeated Alcaraz three years prior in Astana during their last encounter. He aggressively took control when he noticed the Spaniard was not at his peak in the opening set.
Ranked 55th, Goffin, whose top ranking reached number seven in 2017, delivered some spectacular winners while Alcaraz battled with unforced errors.
Goffin held a break lead in all three sets, but after allowing Alcaraz to come back in the first, he maintained his composure and steadiness to remain in front.
“It’s that kind of night that I will remember for sure against Carlos and in a stadium like that. And the night that gave me a lot of confidence to continue,” Goffin said.
Alcaraz was blunt in his assessment of his performance.
“In general, it was a poor level from me, I didn’t play well,” said Alcaraz, who said he’d felt a little heavy in his legs despite coming into the game feeling in good shape.
“I thought I was going to play really good tennis but it didn’t happen, playing a break down in the third set, not feeling great or confident physically, it’s really tough to get back,” he added.
