London (AFP) - Belgium's David Goffin defeated Frances Tiafoe of the United States in the longest match at this year's Wimbledon on Sunday to reach the quarter-finals.
Goffin, who also made the quarters on his last appearance in 2019, came out on top 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 after four hours and 36 minutes on Court Two.
The world number 58 fired 18 aces and a total of 59 winners past the 23rd-seeded Tiafoe.
Goffin missed Wimbledon in 2021 after suffering an ankle injury before a knee problem forced him to shut down his season after the US Open.
"For me, it's almost like a back-to-back quarter-final because I didn't play last year and 2020 was closed with Covid," said Goffin.
Before this year, his most recent match at Wimbledon was a sobering quarter-final defeat to eventual champion Novak Djokovic, who allowed him just six games.
"Last year was a tough year for me with some injuries.I stopped for four or five months at the end of the year," said the 31-year-old, a former world number seven player.
"At the beginning of the year I had to fight to stay positive to come back to my best level.
"The last few months were much better.To reach a quarter-final again this year in Wimbledon means a lot."
Goffin goes on to meet Britain's Cameron Norrie for a place in the semi-finals.
