David Goffin needed all of his experience to outlast Italy's Luca Nardi on Thursday at the Italian Open, where the Belgian escaped a precarious position to book his spot in the second round at the clay-court ATP Masters 1000, here.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The two-time quarter-finalist Goffin prevailed 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 to advance to face 2017 champion Alexander Zverev in the Italian capital. Although he trailed the 19-year-old home favourite Nardi 3-6, 2-4, Goffin converted four of his five break points across the second and third sets to seal a two-hour, 22-minute triumph at the Foro Italico.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"I was a little bit tight at the beginning of the match and he was playing well. He didn't leave me any [chances] in the first set and at the beginning of the second. It was a few points that made the difference, because he had the break, and I was really close to coming back in some long games," said Goffin.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The former World No. 7 Goffin dropped out of the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings for the first time since July 2014 on Monday after struggling for consistency and with his fitness this year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The 32-year-old was pleased with the way he had dug deep to earn his first Masters 1000 victory of 2023.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"If it would have been [6-3, 6-4] for him, it would have been, ‘OK, congrats', but I had to fight and I won a few important points in the second to turn it around," said Goffin.<\/p>\r\n\r\n