By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, September 16, 2018
Borna Coric edged Frances Tiafoe in a four-hour, six-minute thriller, clinching Croatia's 3-2 conquest of the USA and sending the host into its third Davis Cup final.
Photo credit: Davis Cup Facebook
Staring through a cloud of red dust, Borna Coric trudged to his court-side seat with his white baseball cap askew as if recoiling from a head-spinning collapse.
Squandering a 5-1 third-set lead, Coric confronted the worst crisis of his Davis Cup tenure with the most committed comeback of his career.
More: Querrey Stuns Cilic, Forces Davis Cup Decider
Playing bold combinations in the decisive set, the 21-year-old Coric fought off Frances Tiafoe, 6-7 (0), 6-1, 6-7 (11), 6-1, 6-3, clinching Croatia's 3-2 conquest of the United States and sending the host into its third Davis Cup final on the red clay of Zadar.
Coric blew a 5-1 third-set lead and a couple of set points in the tiebreak as the 20-year-old Tiafoe put the Americans one set from their first Davis Cup final in 11 years.
A calm Coric shrugged off that gut-wrenching set and player more proactive tennis over the final two sets subduing a gallant Tiafoe who was playing just the second Davis Cup match of his career.
Banging a backhand return crosscourt, Coric ended a fierce fight wind-milling his arms in elation.
"It was unbelievable," Coric said. "This was the most special moment of my life by far."
Coric, who swept Steve Johnson in Friday's opener, accounted for two of Croatia's three points sending the nation into its second Davis Cup final in the last three years. Croatia will visit defending Davis Cup champion France in the November 23-25th final.
France defeated Spain, which was without world No. 1 Rafael Nadal, 3-2, to score its seventh straight victory.
A gritty Coric played American eliminator for the second time in the last three years. Two years ago, Coric out-dueled Jack Sock in four sets clinching Croatia's comeback from an 0-2 deficit to defeat the United States, 3-2, in the Davis Cup quarterfinals in Portland, Oregon.
In today's rematch, the Americans tried turning the tables.
Falling into an 0-2 deficit after opening singles on Friday, Team USA showed signs of life as Mike Bryan and Jack Sock won a five-set doubles duel yesterday.
Winless in six prior matches vs. Marin Cilic, Sam Querrey confirmed captain Jim Courier's decision to insert him into the line-up in place of Johnson and Querrey responded with one of the most wins of his career stunning Cilic to level the tie and set the stage of the the decider.
Playing with calm, clarity at the start, Tiafoe broke in the fourth game then blocked a backhand volley backing up the break for 4-1.
The Croatian crowd was chanting "Borna Coric! Borna Coric!" and the Croatian No. 2 answered breaking back in the seventh game and bursting through a love hold to level for 4-all.
Twisting a second serve ace out wide to open the tiebreak, Tiafoe spent the next six points tormenting Coric's forehand into collapse.
The world No. 18 committed four forehand errors then whacked a wild backhand as Tiafoe tore through a shutout breaker sealing a one-set lead after 53 minutes.
Dropping deeper behind the baseline to return, Coric grinded through the first break of the second set for a 2-0 lead.
An increasingly erratic Tiafoe double-faulted a second break away as Coric stretched the lead to 4-0.
Pumping his fist toward the team bench, an energized Coric capped a commanding second set when Tiafoe poked a backhand into the middle of the net. Though he served just 30 percent, Coric won 15 of 20 points played on his serve deconstructing his 20-year-old opponent in the second set.
Leaving the court to change his clothes, Tiafoe returned to a relentless baseline assault from the Croatian.
Hitting higher, heavier topspin, Coric displaced the American pushing him back behind the baseline with a series of a crunching crosscourt drives.
A focused Coric opened the third set with the break.
Beating Tiafoe to the punch in baseline exchanges, Coric was sharper and drove the ball deeper banging through to the double break and a 3-0 lead. Backing up the break quickly, Coric had won 10 of the last 11 games as Croatian fans erupted in the wave.
Creating sharp forehand angles, Tiafoe stopped a five-game slide holding for 1-4 only to see Coric extend to 5-1.
At that point, the set seemed a formality, but another plot twist flipped the script.
Serving for a two-sets-to-one lead, Coric felt the stress and faltered pushing a forehand drop shot into net as Tiafoe regained one of the two breaks. A surprise serve-and-volley play helped Tiafoe closed to 4-5 forcing Coric to try to serve it out again.
By then, Tiafoe was exhorting himself between points, sprinting to his seat at the end of games and scraping out nearly every shot he could reach sliding around on the clay.
A jittery Coric heard the footsteps and felt the pressure shanking a forehand 10 feet long to start the 10th game. Tiafoe saw the nerves and made the home favorite play leaking more errors to break back.
Tension tightened as both sides earned set points in the tie break.
Tiafoe thumped a body serve into the hip saving a second set point then pumped an ace out wide to earn his second set point. Coric crunched a forehand winner to deny set point, leveling at 9-9.
The 21-year-old Croatian saved a third set point for 10-all. Tiafoe kept applying pressure. Coric whipped a wide serve and swept a forehand crosscourt saving a foruth set point for 11-all.
Stress spiked during a pulsating 21-shot rally that ended with Coric netting a backhand to face a fifth set point.
Tiafoe, who had been kicking his serve wide on the ad side, threw down his eighth ace roaring in excitement at capping a spirited fightback from 1-5 down to stealing a third set that seemed completely out of reach.
The United States was one set from completing a remarkable rally and its first trip to the Davis Cup final in 11 years.
Coric wasn't done.
Hitting through his forehand with more conviction, Coric broke in the fourth game and confirmed the break with a fist pump toward the team bench snatching a 4-1 fourth-set lead.
The resilience Coric showed shaking off the anguish of his third-set collapse carried him through a commanding fourth set to force a decider. Though his forehand failed him in the third set, Coric struck that stroke with ambition hitting six of his seven winners from his forehand wing in the fourth set.
After three hours, 26 minutes of play, the pair prepared to enter the pressure cooker of a final set with a trip to the Davis Cup final on the line.
Halle champion Coric owned a 3-3 career record in fifth-set matches, while Tiafoe was winless in four career five-setters.
Saving a pair of break points in the second game, Coric grinded through the American's defense in the fifth game.
The two-handed backhand is Coric's most reliable stroke. Tiafoe tested it on an approach shot and paid the price when Coric crunched a crosscourt backhand pass breaking for 3-2.
Each time Tiafoe tested him in the final set, Coric had an answer.
Slashing successive aces, Coric navigated a deuce hold to confirm the break.
A heavy forehand return set Coric up for a diagonal backhand strike for match point.
Banging a backhand crosscourt, Coric ended it after four hours, six minutes.
Swarmed by Croatian teammates, Coric showed class stopping the celebration to shake hands with a disconsolate Tiafoe, who stripped off his shirt and sat on his court-side seat burying his head in his hands.
Both men should holds their heads high after a fierce battle.