Goffin is 35th and ranked 657th. It was his first main draw win of the season after two exits in the second qualifying round.
“I’m going to have to cancel the party I booked,” Goffin joked in court. “It was both the most beautiful and the most difficult opening match I’ve ever had. I was very nervous and the most important thing was the support of the crowd from the first point to the last. To end the match with a winner was huge.
The last tournament of Belgium’s luckiest man
“Everything was perfect, I couldn’t have hoped for better,” Goffin said. “Thank you to everyone, my friends, my family, my teammates, my wife and my daughter. It means a lot to me to live in this moment. And we’ll go again tomorrow. It’s not over, just four matches left. What is it in a career?
Goffin is the highest-ranked Belgian in the history of the ATP Rankings, reaching No. 7 in 2017. That season, he defeated Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer en route to the finals of the ATP Finals. He also holds the Belgian men’s Open era records for most wins and titles with six titles. This is his eighth appearance at the European Open, tying him with Richard Gasquet in the event’s history. His best finish here is his 2017 semi-final run.
Bertola is ranked 219th and lost in the final qualifying round before entering the main draw as a lucky loser. He was playing only his second ATP Tour main draw.
Goffin will meet in the 1/8 finals with American Alex Michelsen, representing the number 5.