ROME — Encircled by the monolithic statues that surround the Stadio Pietrangeli here, the considerably less statuesque David Goffin showed a different type of solidity that has put him in the top 10 of men’s tennis.
Listed at 5 feet 11 inches, Goffin was even dwarfed by his opponent on Thursday: the 6-foot-6 Juan Martín del Potro, who retired with a groin injury to put Goffin through to the quarterfinals of the Italian Open.
As his opponent wavered, Goffin displayed the speed and wizardry that has helped him succeed in an era in which five of the top 10 men’s players are at least as tall as del Potro, who is ranked No.