Croatian tennis player Borna Ćorić (ATP-13) defeated Australian player Nick Kyrgios (ATP-33) with a score of 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 after 116 minutes of play on Tuesday. For the second consecutive year, Ćorić advanced to the quarterfinals of the ATP Masters 1000 series tournament in Miami, the Miami Open, reports Gol.hr on March 26, 2019.
In the quarters, Ćorić will meet 18-year-old Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime who overcame Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili 7-6 (4), 6-4 and achieved a career result.
Ćorić reached his third victory in Miami this year by not allowing his 23-year-old Australian opponent to disrupt his concentration, which was crucial for Ćorić’s success in the round of 16 against Kyrgios.
Ćorić was the first to reach a break in the match, for 3-1 in the first set, though he lost the lead in the next game. In the ninth game, Kyrgios took advantage of a slightly weaker period in Ćorić's game for a new break and the first set.
However, the Croatian tennis player came back in the second set, where his break for 4-2 was enough to compete for the third set. And in the third, Ćorić first had the break advantage at 3-2. The pivotal moment happened in the next game, where Borna pulled 0-40 and confirmed the break. Kyrgios cracked when referee Gianluca Moscarella gave him a warning and a point penalty, which brought Ćorić to 5-2. There was no return for the Australian player.
Final statistics showed just how solid Ćorić was, as he finished the match with 35 straight points and only 14 unforced errors. And in other segments, from utilizing the first and second serve to realizing break chances, the Croatian tennis player overwhelmed Kyrgios.
Ćorić’s next opponent is 18-year-old Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime, the first qualifier since 2007 who reached the quarterfinals in Miami. Twelve years ago, Argentinian Guillermo Canas came out of the qualifications and lost to Novak Djokovic. Ćorić has yet to play against the Canadian teenager, who is the first tennis player born in this millennium (8.8.2000) to break into top 50.
Their quarterfinal match will be played on Wednesday.
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