Australian Open 2018: Profiling the dark horses

2) David Goffin | Rank #7 (Best Aus Open finish QFs 2017)

David Goffin at the 2018 Hopman Cup

The Belgian succumbed to Pablo Carreno Busta at the Kooyong Classic exhibition in Melbourne today, but it is certainly not a measure of his performance at the coming Major. David Goffin looks well unfazed and all prepared to sizzle at the Australian Open 2018.

To begin the season of 2018, Goffin won all three of his Hopman Cup singles matches against Zverev, Kokkinakis and Vasek Pospisil - but despite his heroics, Belgium failed to make the final.

An appearance in the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park last year was followed by a huge run at the ATP Finals by Goffin who defeated Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer on his way to the Finals in London.

He continued his winning ways onto the Davis Cup final, where despite Belgium’s 3-2 loss to France, he beat Lucas Pouille and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to improve his record in the competition to an incredible 21-3.

Having defeated Novak Djokovic last year, Goffin has improved tremendously on his serve and well-rounded baseline game while packaging himself replete with the weapons needed to compete with the best in the world.

If he can keep replicating that similar form in which he ended the last season, we surely can have a surprise winner in the form of the Belgian going head on for the biggest prize in sport at the Australian Open.