Montpellier 2021: David Goffin vs Lorenzo Sonego preview, head-to-head & prediction | Open Sud de France
Match details
Fixture: (2) David Goffin vs (7) Lorenzo Sonego
Date: 26 February 2021
Tournament: Open Sud de France 2021
Round: Quarterfinals
Venue: Montpellier, France
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Prize money: €262,170
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel
David Goffin vs Lorenzo Sonego preview
Second seed David Goffin will take on Italy's Lorenzo Sonego in the quarterfinals of the Open Sud de France on Friday.
It's been a rough 12 months for Goffin on the professional front. Like many of his peers, the Belgian has struggled in the post-pandemic 'new normal'.
After testing positive for COVID-19 in October, Goffin ended the season on a five-match losing streak. He then began the 2021 season on a promising note by reaching the semi-finals in Antalya, But that was followed by back-to-back first-round exits in Melbourne.
Goffin's next opponent Lorenzo Sonego is currently ranked No. 36 in the world, which is close to his personal best of No. 32. He had put together an incredible run at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna last year, coming through the qualifying draw and upsetting Novak Djokovic en route to the final.
The Italian, who also made the last 16 at the 2020 French Open, started off the 2021 season with a 1-2 record in Melbourne.
David Goffin vs Lorenzo Sonego head-to-head
David Goffin and Lorenzo Sonego have never met on the ATP tour, and so their head-to-head stands at 0-0.
David Goffin vs Lorenzo Sonego prediction
After a first-round bye, David Goffin needed all his experience to overcome Benjamin Bonzi 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 in the second round. The World No. 15 was understandably delighted after his tough win over the Frenchman.
"This is what I needed, a fight like this to finish with the win no matter what," Goffin said. "I was fighting from the start until the end and I’m happy that finally I won a good fight."
Lorenzo Sonego meanwhile ousted France's Hugo Gaston in the first round, and followed that up with a surprisingly comfortable 6-3, 6-2 win over the in-form Sebastian Korda.
Sonego does not have an overpowering game, but as he showed in Vienna, on his day he can beat anyone in the world.
Both players will be looking to play the percentages on Friday, and keep their error count low. Goffin is the slight favorite though; if he is able to show the same fighting spirit as he did on Wednesday, the Belgian should be able to progress into the last four.
Prediction: David Goffin to win in three sets.