“It was a good game, even if I didn’t play well,” said Goffin after his victory. “I was 0-2 down and had chances in the first two games, but I didn’t use them. I didn’t know my opponent, I didn’t know how he played. But I quickly figured it out. I saw that he moved very well, that he was fast and quite sturdy, but without doing anything special. I didn’t panic, stayed calm and little by little I became more aggressive. I managed to dictate the rallies, let him run and pull the trigger at the right time, with the right balls.”
“After I won the first set, it got easier. I felt better and better on the track and after I forced the break I felt like I really had the upper hand. In the end it became 6-4 and 6-2. It was a tough match. And I’m happy to see Zizou’s great win (Bergs, ed.) could give a nice follow-up against Kwon. It was important to confirm.”
© AFP
Belgium now leads 2-0 after the first day of competition and needs one more win from their last three games on Sunday to reach the group stage in September. “The work is not finished yet”, continued the Belgian number 1. “We have to keep up the momentum. I hope that tomorrow we can win the first game with our doubles duo to decide this confrontation. There are several reasons for this. First of all because it would be good for Sander (Gillé, red.) and Jordan (Fly, ed.) to win another Davis Cup game. They came close in Hamburg. And it would be nice if everyone could contribute.”
“But I feel ready if things don’t turn out as hoped. I’m ready for a duel with Kwon. I know it won’t be easy, watching the doubles and preparing yourself at the same time, but I’m confident in myself and the team.”
Van Herck: “Must continue with this fighting spirit”
Captain Johan Van Herck was also logically satisfied after the first day of competition “Would you call it a perfect day? Yes, I think so”, said the Belgian T1. “If we were told that we would be 2-0 up after the first day, that is the ideal result. 1-1 was the minimum we expected. Zizou played a great game, especially after losing the first set. He pulled himself together to win and showed a great attitude. He served very well in the second set and gradually became the best player on the field.”
“It was an important win for us, which changed the whole dynamic of the confrontation. It was a game in which the South Koreans started as favourites. And Zizou showed with his talent that he knows what to do with guys like that. That could be important for him, and for us as a team. David for his part played quite a professional match. He did what he had to do to get us that second point that we really wanted to get after taking the lead. So I am very happy.”
“Tomorrow we start with the doubles and want to keep that lead”, continued Van Herck. “With Sander and Joran we have a good duo that can undoubtedly give us that third victory. But we remain wary and professional. We must continue this way, with this fighting spirit, and players who, even when things don’t go perfectly, look for solutions to get a result,” he concluded.