Goffin has been solid on clay this season, winning six of eight matches, including a recent final-four finish at Monte Carlo. In that event, he overcame Dominic Thiem and Novak Djokovic—both inside the top-10 in the ATP rankings—before losing to eventual champion Rafael Nadal.
The Belgian also notched a straight-sets victory over Karen Khachanov in the first round, which lasted for less than two hours. Goffin should look to end things quickly here again versus an aging Florian Mayer, who’s going through a really tough year thus far.
Mayer defeated Marcel Granollers, 7-5, 7-5, in the opening round, which also finally handed him his first victory of the season.
That win could be the ignition of a run for the experienced German, who won two out of three career meetings with Goffin, one of which came on clay at the 2013 Bucharest Open.
However, Mayer dropped the latest meeting in the said matchup, losing in straight sets in Antwerp last year. Plus, the current level that he’s playing doesn’t even compare to how sharp Goffin’s form has been all season long.
