The BNP Paribas Open has become notorious for its upsets over the years, and this year has proved no different. Two of the top five men’s seeds failed to reach the quarterfinals, and two others came within a point of falling short in the fourth round as well. A pair of upset architects collided on Thursday in the first men’s quarterfinal between David Goffin and Marin Cilic. While Goffin had stunned world No. 3 Stan Wawrinka in a three-setter filled with twists and turns, Cilic had overcome a mid-match lull to record a more modest upset over eighth seed Richard Gasquet.

Opportunity knocked loudly for both men, neither of whom had reached a Masters 1000 semifinal before. For Goffin, this match marked just his second appearance in a quarterfinal at this level, while Cilic had accumulated more experience but also more negative memories. The slight, wiry Belgian posed a stark contrast to the towering Croat, who astonished the tennis world by winning the US Open in 2014. Together with del Potro, Cilic is one of only two men on the tour who has won a major but not a Masters 1000 event, a surprising statistic considering his talents and his 67 prior appearances at these events over the years.

Goffin and Cilic were familiar foes, having met in Davis Cup action barely a month ago. The Belgian had prevailed that time, but the clay surface and the best-of-five format offered few clues as to how this second meeting might unfold. Generally speaking, Goffin would be favored in the extended rallies, where his style of taking the bally early seemed likely to disrupt Cilic’s timing. The former US Open champion’s elongated swings, comprised of many moving parts, contrasted with the Belgian’s compact, tightly controlled strokes. However, the massive difference in velocity between their serves, combined with Goffin’s much shorter wing span on the return, meant that Cilic could expect to win many more free points. And an opening service game of three aces illustrated that point.

For most of the first set, Cilic appeared to be on the verge of seizing control. He earned break points in each of Goffin’s first two service games, and he did not face a break point himself until 4-4. The Croat dug a hole for himself at that juncture, though, spraying a pair of loose groundstrokes. Goffin seized the opportunity with both hands and struck a pair of clean winners off his backhand. These positioned him to serve for the opening set.

Flickers of nerves then crept into Goffin’s game, much as they had when he had attempted to close out Wawrinka yesterday. Cilic still nearly let him off the hook again, committing routine error after routine error on break points. Finally, on his fourth chance of the game and eighth of the set, Goffin slipped and fell behind the baseline. Unable to get back on his feet, he could only watch as Cilic’s forehand jolted through the court uncontested for a winner and a break.

With that exception, this set would be defined by missed opportunities for the Croat. He would earn four more set points with the Belgian serving at 5-6. Goffin grew visibly tentative at this juncture, losing the rhythm on his first serve and floating second serves into the box at under 80 mph. Yet he somehow escaped again, as Cilic began to show signs of frustration with the errors leaking from his return and groundstrokes. With so many squandered chances behind him, it was fitting that he fell short in the tiebreak. Cilic would take an early 3-1 lead but then drop six of the next seven points, perhaps still pondering what had happened before.

After 61 minutes, Goffin had slipped away with a set in which he had lived on the brink nearly without respite. His ability to dodge bullet after bullet appeared to invigorate him. In contrast to the first set, it was Cilic who found himself under early pressure on serve in the second set. He survived Goffin’s first cluster of break points, but soon he would donate a dismal break at love with a double fault. This was a stark contrast to the Belgian’s poise under pressure in the first set.

Cilic showed signs of desperation at this stage with his back against the wall. He challenged two Goffin serves down 2-4, both of which were clearly on the line. The former US Open champion was out of challenges and out of ideas. He meekly conceded his serve once more in the next game to suffer a demoralizing 7-6(4) 6-2 defeat.

Now an abysmal 0-8 in Masters 1000 quarterfinals, having lost 14 consecutive sets on these occasions, Cilic remains far removed from solving the Masters 1000 riddle. His repeated inability to rise to the occasion against a less accomplished and less seasoned opponent suggested a competitor lacking in resilience. On the other hand, Goffin looked every inch someone who belonged on this stage, despite his lack of experience here. He stayed within himself and played to his strengths throughout the match, weathering his opponent’s ebbs and flows. Returning a day after a physically and mentally exhausting epic against Wawrinka, he showed the resolve to build on the momentum from that upset with a second straight victory over a major champion.

In a likely semifinal against Milos Raonic on Saturday, Goffin again will take the role of David against Goliath as a heavy underdog in both status and stature. Indian Wells has proved friendly to many Cinderellas in the past, though, so it would be unwise to dismiss the tenacious Belgian’s prospects.