March 27, 2022 - Marin Čilić lost only three games on his way to the Miami Open 3rd round, defeating Australian Alexei Popyrin 6:0, 6:3 on Saturday.

Marin Čilić flew by Popyrin in the 2nd round of the ATP tournament in Miami on Saturday! Namely, it took only 55 minutes for Marin Čilić to win the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Miami. Croatia's best male tennis player lost only three games to the 92nd-best tennis player in the world, Australian Alexei Popyrin - 6:0, 6:3.

In the match, the posied Marin won the first nine games and quickly resolved all doubts about the winner. The Croatian tennis player immediately took a 3-0 lead in the second set and kept the advantage until the end for the final victory.

He scored six aces with a first-serve percentage of 68 percent. He also did not allow his opponent a single break.

Marin will face the new star of the tennis world, 18-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz (16th on the ATP list). This will be their second meeting, while Čilić won the first test last year. Carlos Alcaraz defeated Hungarian Marton Fucsovics 6:3, 6:2 in the 2nd round. 

Recall, Croatian tennis player Borna Ćorić lost to German Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-3, 3-6 in the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Miami. It was their seventh meeting and the fourth victory for the world #4 player and the tournament's second seed. However, this match showed that Borna is slowly getting into the right shape after a long break due to injury. 

Furthermore, Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić also advanced to the 2nd round of Miami. The best doubles team in the world last year surpassed the Georgian-Serbian side of Nikoloz Basilashvili / Laszlo Gere in the first round - 7-6 (3), 6-1. They will face Canadian Denis Shapovalov and Indian Rohan Bopanna in the round of 16 tonight around 22:00 Croatia time. 

Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo also had an easy victory in the first round of the Miami tournament. The Croatian-Brazilian duo defeated Belgians Sander Gille and Goran Vliegen in two sets - 6-4, 6-1. They will next meet Italians Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini in the 2nd round. 

After an early defeat in the singles competition, Ana Konjuh successfully continued her performance in doubles at the WTA 1000 tournament in Miami. Konjuh and Swiss partner Belinda Bencic defeated Angelina Kalinin and Jelena Ribakina 6-2, 6-7 (4), 10-7.

Konjuh and Bencic lost in the decisive super tie-break with 7-3, after which they won seven consecutive points.

Source: HTS

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March 26, 2022 - After celebrating his first victory in 12 months when he defeated Fernando Verdasco in the first round, Borna Ćorić was stopped in the 2nd round of the Miami Open. 

In the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Miami, Croatian tennis player Borna Ćorić lost to German Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-3, 3-6.

It was their seventh meeting and the fourth victory for the world #4 player and the second seed of the tournament. However, this match showed that Borna is slowly getting in the right shape after a long break due to injury. 

The first set was equal until the result was 4-4, and both tennis players kept their serve. But in the ninth game, Zverev broke and safely served for 6-4 to lead 1-0 in sets.

The Croatian tennis player entered the second set brilliantly. With one break, he took a 3-0 lead and then kept the game advantage until the end of the set, when he won 6-3 after 38 minutes of play.

Unfortunately, Zverev fought back at the opening of the third set by winning three games in a row, after which Borna was unable to return. He had a break to return to the match in the ninth game, but Zverev then got the next two points to win.

Borna scored two aces during the match with a first-serve percentage of 65 percent and used one of two break points (Zverev two of three). He will have his next appearance in three weeks at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Monte Carlo.

In the next round of Miami, Zverev will play against the match winner between Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov and American Mackenzie McDonald.

Borna recorded his first victory after 12 months by defeating Verdasco in the 1st round of Miami. In his second return appearance after injury, the 25-year-old from Zagreb defeated Spaniard Fernando Verdasco (123rd in the ATP ranking) in two sets - 6-4, 7-5.

It was his first celebration since Rotterdam in early March 2021 when he defeated Kei Nishikori in the quarterfinals. 

Croatia has another singles representative at the tournament in Miami. Namely, Marin Čilić will face Australian Alexei Popyrin in the 2nd round.

Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić also advanced to the second round of Miami. The best doubles team in the world last year surpassed the Georgian-Serbian side of Nikoloz Basilashvili / Laszlo Gere in the first round - 7-6 (3), 6-1.

Source: HTS

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April 5, 2021 - Split tennis player Mate Pavić is again at the top of the ATP doubles rankings after July 2, 2018!

The news comes after Mate Pavić and Nikola Mektić won their fourth joint title, and the first in the Masters 1000 series tournament.

The world's best tennis pair in 2021 won the Miami Open after beating Britons Daniel Evans and Neal Skupski 6-4, 6-4 in 75 minutes during Saturday's final.

They also became the first Croatians to boast a doubles title at the Miami Open and did it without losing a set. Thus, in their 28th appearance this season, Mektić and Pavić reached their 25th victory (25-3) and are convincingly the best doubles team in 2021.

“This is our first joint Masters 1000 title. It means a lot to us. The match was great. They had a break in the first set, it wasn’t easy at all. We are satisfied with how we played," said Mate Pavić after the duel that brought him back to the top of the ATP doubles rankings.

"For the first time, I was number one for about ten weeks. I hope I can go longer now. We are also the first in the doubles ranking. We deserve it. I hope we can continue like this ", commented Pavić.

Recall, Pavić remained on the throne for weeks in his first ascent to No. 1 and has now reached 9,010 points, just ten more than second-placed Colombian Robert Farah and 100 more than third in the standings, Farah's partner Juan Sebastian Cabal. Nikola Mektić is fourth (8,910), and in the Top 10 is Ivan Dodig (6,710) in 9th! 

Mektić and Pavić also became the leading doubles team this season with 3,065 points, pushing Australian Open winners Ivan Dodig and Slovak Filip Polasek (2,780) to second place.

In the individual competition, the best Croatian tennis player is Borna Ćorić, who did not play in Miami and fell by three positions, so he is now in 27th place. Marin Čilić jumped two places with a breakthrough to the round of 16 of the Miami Open and is currently the 43rd tennis player in the world.

Novak Djokovic welcomed his 315th week at number 1. Behind the Serbian tennis player are Russian Danil Medvedev, Spaniard Rafael Nadal, Austrian Dominic Thiem, and Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas. Among the top ten, the only change is that Alexander Zverev and Roger Federer swapped places - the German is now sixth and the Swiss player seventh.

Miami winner Pole Hubert Hurkacz made the jump from 21st place and is now in 16th, which is the best ranking in his career.

You could see the full ATP rankings HERE. 

Source: HRT

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April 2, 2021 - Second-seeds Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić will play in the Miami Open doubles final on Friday for their fifth ATP Tour final of the year!

Croatian doubles team Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić advanced to the doubles finals of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Miami, defeating American Rajeev Ram and Briton Joe Salisbury 6-3, 7-6 (3).

Mektić and Pavić solved the first set after a break in the fourth game and the second after a tie-break in which they made it 5:3.

Croatian tennis players Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić will play in the Miami Open doubles final against British duo Daniel Evans and Neal Skupski. Evans and Skupski defeated Croatian Ivan Dodig and Slovak Filip Polašek 7-6 (4), 1-6, 10-8 in a dramatic duel, which was decided by one point in the end.

Dodig and Polašek did not lose their service during the match, but the defeat cost them worse than the start of the decisive set - Evans and Skupski took an early lead with 5:1, and the Croatian-Slovak duo did not manage to return.

Mektić and Mate Pavić have 24 victories and only three defeats this season, and they have won three tournaments so far (Antalya, Melbourne, Rotterdam).

After three victories, Marin Čilić finished his performance at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Miami earlier this week.

In the round of 16, the 8th-best tennis player in the world, Russian Andrej Rublev, was too strong for Čilić (6:4, 6: 4). Marin lost his serve once in each set (both times in the fifth game) and did not reach a single break during the match. He recorded six aces and a first-serve percentage of 54 percent.

It was their fifth meeting and Rublev's fourth consecutive victory. Čilić's next appearance will be at the Masters 1000 tournament in Monte Carlo, which starts on April 11.

Source: HTS

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Croatian tennis player Ivan Dodig and his French partner Edouard Roger-Vasselin have made it to the semis of the Masters 1000 series tournament in Miami, the Miami Open, after defeating Argentinians Maximo Gonzalez and Horacio Zeballos 6-3, 7-6 (6) in the quarterfinals, reports Gol.hr on March 27, 2019.

The critical moment of the first set was the sixth game in which Dodig and Roger-Vasselin had a break and led 4-2. They held their advantage for 37 minutes and won the first set 6-3.

In the second set, both pairs held their services to 4-4 when the Croatian-French duo had a break. In the next game, they had two match points but did not use them, and the Argentinian duo leveled at 5-5. The set was taken to the thirteen game when the Argentinians led 4-2 and then 5-3. Dodig and Roger-Vasselin came back with three points in a row and reached 6-5. Gonzalez and Zeballos equalized at 6-6, and Dodig and Roger-Vasselin received the next two points to win.

In the semi-finals, Dodig and Roger-Vasselin will play against Dutchman Wesley Koolhof and Greek player Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Unlike Dodig, Mate Pavić remained without a place in the semifinals. The best men's tennis duo of last year, Pavić and Austrian Oliver Marach, were defeated in the quarterfinals by Polish player Lukasz Kubot and Brazilian Marcelo Melo 6-7 (5), 5-7.

Pavić and Marach were excellent to start the match, and already in the first game took the service of their opponents and led 2-0. However, Kubot and Melo returned in the fourth game, equalizing to 2-2. By the end of the set, both pairs kept their serves, leaving it to the decisive thirteenth game.

The Croatian-Austrian pair misplayed their tie-break. Their rivals led 3-1 and 6-2. Pavić and Marach then saved three set points, but not the fourth.

At the opening of the second set, we saw breaks, but this time by Kubot and Melo. Pavić and Marach managed to equalize 2-2. Unfortunately, Kubot and Melo broke at 5-5 and efficiently served for the match.

Borna Ćorić also failed to win a spot in the semifinals after losing to the 18-year-old Canadian player Felix Auger Aliassime 7-6 (3), 6-2. 

Ćorić did well only in the first set, and at one point had a break point to lead 6-5. He did not use it, and in the tie-break, which proved to be key, he lost two points at his service and was left without the set. 

Auger Aliassime opened the second set with two breaks, and the story was over. The young Canadian player has thus reached the semifinals from qualifying and awaits John Isner today.

Darija Jurak and partner Raluca Olaru fell to Ashleigh Barty and Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 6-3 in the women's doubles quarters. 

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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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Croatian tennis player Borna Ćorić advanced to the third round of a strong Masters 1000 series tournament in Miami, the Miami Open. Ćorić celebrated against Jérémy Chardy (ATP-40)  6:7 (2), 6:2, 6:3 after two hours and 38 minutes of play, report Gol.hr on March 25, 2019. 

After losing the first set in the tiebreak after more than an hour of play, Ćorić took control of the game in the second set, which he won easily with 6:2. Although Chardy served five aces, and Ćorić only one, the Croatian took the Frenchman’s service twice and did not lose his own once. 

In the third set, the situation was similar, but Ćorić was better at serving and managed five aces. In addition, Ćorić retook the service of his rival and didn’t lose his once in the set.

In the match, Ćorić served 12 aces, as did Chardy, though he was better at both the first and the second serve (76 percent and 57 percent to 69 and 48 percent). The French tennis player lost his serve to Ćorić four times while Ćorić lost his only once.

This was the fifth game between Ćorić and Chardy and the third win of the Croatian tennis player who will meet Australian Nick Kyrgios, 33rd on the ATP ranking, in the round of 16 on Tuesday. Ćorić has played against Kyrgios three times and has celebrated only once.

Last year's best men’s doubles team, Croatian Mate Pavić and Austrian Oliver Marach, advanced to the quarterfinals of the Miami Open with a convincing 6:1, 6:1 win against Moldovan Radu Albot and Georgian Nikoloz Basilasvili. The next rivals for Pavić and Marach will be Polish player Lukasz Kubot and Brazilian Marcelo Melo.

Earlier on Monday, Ivan Dodig and doubles partner Eduard Roger-Vasselin defeated Dutchman Matweed Middelkoop and Argentine Diego Schwartzman at 6:4, 6:3 in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, Dodig and Roger-Vasselin will play against the Argentine Maximo Gonzalez and Horacio Zeballos.

Darija Jurak will also play in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open in the women’s doubles with partner Raluca Olaru. The two will play on Wednesday against Ashleigh Barty and Victoria Azarenka. 

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Borna Ćorić has advanced to the quarterfinal of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Miami after another marathon match where he showed incredible mental strength.