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By Chris Oddo | Tuesday February 14, 2017

It has been a long, hard road back to tennis for Croatia’s Borna Coric. After reaching his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal in Cincinnati last year, the then 19-year-old pulled out of the tournament with a knee injury that would later have to be surgically repaired.

More: Del Potro Read to Rock Return to ATP

Before signing up for surgery Coric kept trying to rehab the knee, but after a retirement in the first round of the U.S. Open and a straight-sets loss to Richard Gasquet in the Davis Cup semifinals in late September, Coric elected to have the surgery, thus killing the rest of his 2016.

That’s why Tuesday’s 7-6(6), 7-6(10) victory over Karen Khachanov is so big for Coric. The 20-year-old had dropped his first three decisions of 2017 and was badly in need of some positive momentum.

Coric saved nine of eleven points to battle past the hard-hitting World No.48 in two hours and 14 minutes. Coric battled from 5-2 down to snatch the second set from Khachanov.


The pair of 20-year-olds were playing their first of what promises to be many ATP battles. Coric’s win places him in the round of 16 where he’ll face compatriot Marin Cilic.

Cilic has had his struggles as well this season. He entered this week’s draw at Rotterdam as the top seed but he had only won one of four matches on the season. Cilic suffered first-round defeats in Chennai (Kovalik) and Montpellier (Dustin Brown), and was upset in the second-round of the Australian Open by Dan Evans.

Things weren’t looking so good for Cilic on Tuesday either but he battled back from a set down to defeat a tempestuous Benoit Paire behind 13 aces and nine of ten break points saved, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2.

Other winners on Tuesday at the ANB Amro were No.6-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who defeated Greek Wild Card Stefanos Tsitsipas, 6-4, 7-6(2), and defending champion Martin Klizan, who defeated Fernando Verdasco, 6-4, 0-6, 6-1.

Tsonga’s win against Tsitsipas marked the 18-year-old’s first ATP level encounter. The former Junior No.1 acquitted himself nicely, exhibiting a comfort on the big stage and some smooth movement as well as powerful, timely groundstrokes. He battled from a break down in set two to force the tiebreaker, but could not manage a set.

Gilles Simon (d. Nicolas Mahut), Philipp Kohlschreiber (d. No.8-seeded Pouille) and Gilles Muller (d. Griekspoor) were also winners on Tuesday in Rotterdam.

 

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