PETE ZIEBRON in CINCINNATI
Borna Coric celebrates his win over Nick Kyrgios. Photo Credit: Christopher Johnson www.GrandSlamMagazine.com
Due to the excessive rain this week at the Western & Southern Open, Wednesday's schedule featured 39 matches. Looking at the order of play, one match in particular stood out: Nick Kyrgios vs. Borna Coric, the battle of two of the ATP's Young Guns.
This titanic battle on Court 3 did not disappoint as Coric would ultimately save a Match Point and win 7-6(2) 4-6 7-6(6) in 2 hours and 32 minutes.
Kyrgios continued to play his carefree brand of tennis in the opening set, crushing 10 aces with serves regularly in the mid-130 MPH range. Meanwhile, Coric saved 3 break points against him in the sixth game and the opening set went to a tiebreaker.
Nick Kyrgios would start the tiebreaker with an ace and end it with a double fault with a 130 MPH second serve that sailed long as Coric won the last 5 points of the breaker to win it 7-2 and claim the opening set. On the changeover, Kyrgios smashed 3 racquets and was given a Code Conduct violation warning.
Nick Kyrgios and his three smashed racquets. Photo Credit: Christopher Johnson www.GrandSlamMagazine.com
The second set continued just like the first as each player held serve comfortably for the first eight games. The only game that even reached deuce was when Coric served at 2-3 and he promptly won the game with an ace.
At 4-4, Kyrgios was finally able to break and would serve for the 2nd set. This break of serve ended a string of 20 consecutive service games by both players to begin the match. Kyrgios would then hit yet another powerful ace in the next game to close out the second set and level the match at a set apiece.
Nick Kyrgios would hit at least 1 ace in 9 of his 11 service games in the first 2 sets. He also hit 4 aces in his second service game in the 2nd set.
Nick Kyrgios after winning the second set against Borna Coric. Photo Credit: Christopher Johnson www.GrandSlamMagazine.com
The atmosphere on Court 3 was buzzing as nearly every seat was occupied as the final set got underway. Both players held serve effectively in their first two service games of the final set. Coric would need to save a break point when serving at 2-all and would then break when Kyrgios played a sloppy game when he attempted to square the final set at 4 games each.
Borna Coric now had command of the match as he had a frustrated Nick Kyrgios on the ropes as he now served for the match at 5-3. Inexplicably, Coric played an extremely tight and tentative game and failed to win a single point, letting Kyrgios back in the match.
Kyrgios would dig out of a 15-30 deficit and win the next 3 points to take the set to 5 games all. Coric would reach 40-15 in his service game before dropping the next 3 points to give Kyrgios a break point but then would win 3 consecutive points of his own to take the game to lead 6-5.
Following a comfortable service hold by Kyrgios, the third ATP final set tiebreaker of the busy day at the Western & Southern Open was about to get underway. Coric double faulted to open the breaker however Kyrgios would not take advantage of the mini-break when he mishit a forehand while leading 2-0 and we were back on serve.
Kyrgios then raced to a 5-2 lead before Coric hung tough and leveled the breaker at 5-5. Kyrgios won the next point and held Match Point on Coric's serve. Coric would win the point following a second serve and proceed to also win the next two points to win the 2nd round match.
Borna Coric withstood 24 aces from Nick Kyrgios and hit 16 aces of his own in advancing to the round of 16, where he will play the Rio Gold Medalist in Doubles, Rafael Nadal.
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