There is a no-fuss, softly spoken politeness about David Goffin that contrasts with some of the brasher egos among the next generation of contenders.
At just 5ft 11in and tipping the scales at a mere 10st 10lb (68kg), the unassuming, sandy blond Belgian could blend into the crowd relatively unnoticed if he had to catch the Tube at Wimbledon.
And, much like his off-court persona, the 24-year-old is happiest letting his game do the talking, comfortably slipping under the radar to reach his maiden Wimbledon fourth round on Friday.
The first player through to the round of 16 this year, Goffin eased past former Wimbledon semi-finalist Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 on No.3 Court.
He becomes just the fourth Belgian man in the Open era to progress this far at SW19, after Dick Norman, Xavier Malisse and Olivier Rochus.
It marks the second time he has reached the fourth round at a major, after doing so on his debut as a lucky loser at the 2012 French Open.
David Goffin
“Of course, only the second time I'm in the fourth round so I'm really happy today,” the No.16 seed grinned. “It was a good match against Marcos. I have been really aggressive today. I didn't let him play, and I served really well, also. Not the first game, but after it was better. I make him run a lot. Even if he had problems with his calf (muscle), I think it was OK.”
What he lacks in stature, Goffin is forced to make up for with guile, accuracy and court speed and against Baghdatis – a player who had beaten him twice this year on hard courts – his confidence quietly surged with each wrong-footing winner or fleet-footed dash to smother an attempted drop shot.
In his two previous Grand Slam events as a seeded player this year he had suffered upsets – to Baghdatis in the second round in Melbourne and to Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in the third round in Paris. But he had grass-court form, having reached the final at ’s-Hertogenbosch, where he fell to Frenchman Nicolas Mahut.
“Yeah, I knew I had the game to make some results on grass that I didn't in the past,” he said. “This year I came from the clay, I came with a lot of confidence on grass and I knew I had the legs, I had the strokes to play really high level on grass, and I'm really happy that this year I can make some result.”
The Belgian will meet No.4 seed Stan Wawrinka, who has won both their previous matches.
Also riding a wave of grass-court confidence into the fourth round is South African Kevin Anderson. The No.14 seed reached the final at Queen’s Club only a matter of weeks ago, before falling to Andy Murray, and on Friday he saw off No.24 seed Leonardo Mayer 6-4, 7-6(6), 6-3.
It matched his run to the fourth round last year and books a showdown with No.1 seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic. Anderson declared his form to be as good as he had yet brought to Wimbledon.
“Yeah, I think so. A lot of parts of my game I’ve been working on consistently throughout the year, definitely apply to the grass – you know, trying to be more aggressive,” Anderson said. “I think today was probably the best match I’ve played at The Championships so far, so that’s great. I definitely feel like I'm heading in the right direction.”
Much has changed in the seven years since Anderson’s lone victory over Djokovic. “He’s always having very consistent results. Since Paris last year he’s even taken it up a level,” Anderson said. “First step completed – putting myself in the round of 16. It’s not the easiest match-up coming up, but I think it’s always important, especially at the slams – at the biggest level – just to enjoy every match and definitely felt good out there today.”
In an unlikely battle of unseeded men, American world No.105 Denis Kudla toughed out a 6-2, 6-7, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Colombian Santiago Giraldo on Court 18.
The American, who had claimed a wild card with victory in the Ilkey Challenger event, reached his first Grand Slam fourth round and will face the winner of Marin Cilic and John Isner.
