Federer crushes Goffin to reach US Open quarter-finals

New York: Roger Federer crushed David Goffin in only 79 minutes on Sunday to reach the U.S. Open quarter-finals while top-ranked defending champion Novak Djokovic was set to face three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka.

Federer advanced to the US Open quarter-finals for the 13th time in his past 15 attempts by defeating Belgian 15th seed Goffin 6-2, 6-2, 6-0.

The 38-year-old Swiss third seed, trying to stretch his men's Grand Slam record title total to 21, advanced to a last-eight matchup with Bulgaria's 78th-ranked Grigor Dimitrov.

“It was great. I thought I had a good feeling out here,” Federer said. “David didn't have his best day either, he was struggling.”

Federer's victory kept him on a semi-final collision course with Serbia's Djokovic, who plays the night feature match at Arthur Ashe Stadium against Swiss 23rd seed Wawrinka.

Federer, who improved to 9-1 in his career rivalry with Goffin, is 7-0 lifetime against Dimitrov, who dispatched Australia's 38th-ranked Alex de Minaur 7-5, 6-3, 6-4, to reach his first US Open quarter-final.

“Feeling excited first to be in US Open quarter-finals for the first time. This is what I practiced for, to play those matches,” Dimitrov said.

“I already started thinking about the (Federer match). Going to really sit down for a couple hours and reassess how I've been doing



this week.”

Five-time US Open champion Federer's Open era Slam quarter-finals record grew to 56 and he matched Andre Agassi's second-best US Open total of 13 quarter-finals -- second only to 17 by Jimmy Connors -- in a dominant performance at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“As soon as you get there, first match on Ashe against him, you can feel all the 20,000 people are behind him as soon as he hit the ball,” Goffin said.

“All of a sudden every shot is 10 times tougher than usually. All of a sudden what you felt the day before during practice or the last matches, it feels completely different.”

Goffin broke in the third game of the match and Federer responded by winning the next five games to seize the opening set in 26 minutes, 11 of the next 13 to grab command of the affair inside of an hour, and 17 of the final 19 in stunningly rapid fashion.

“He was great but I gave him the whole match,” Goffin said. “It's tough to say but yeah, probably my worst match against him I've played.”

Federer fought back after being broken and never stopped.

“I was down in the score earlier,” Federer said. “Obviously you have to come back. I was too down on myself.

“In a way I feel bad about beating up on a friend like David. I hope he has a better end of the year.”