In a commanding performance from start to finish, Nick Kyrgios defeated Borna Coric 6-4 6-4 to advance to the Estoril semi finals. In a match billed as the first showdown between the most successful of the ATP’s #NextGen campaign, Kyrgios showed that he is ready to establish himself as a top level player. Interviewed by the side of the court, Kyrgios spoke of “two young guys coming up” but this match showed that Kyrios is more #ThisGen than #NextGen.
Kyrgios’s attacking game is based on his serve and forehand, and although he said after the match that he did not have much of a strategy coming into it, such is the quality of these two shots that they are good enough for most – Kyrgios would not face a break point all night. Kyrgios also made good use of his backhand, repeatedly forcing his Croatian opponent into errors.
The match started brightly, with both players confidently holding serve but in the fifth game, Coric’s forehand erred trying to force the pace and he was broken. In contrast, Kyrgios’s groundstrokes pinned Coric behind the baseline and he looked untroubled for much of the set. Coric is a fighter, no question, and carved out an opening in the eight game with a wonderfully timed backhand return followed by a controlled forehand passing shot to move to 15-30. Kyrgios dug in with big serves, held for 5-3 and took the set a game later.
In his previous round against Brazilian Rogerio Dutra Silva, Coric accurately diagnosed his problem as one of real estate: he was playing too far behind the baseline and once he got up to the line, his strokes had more aggression. Whether or not the Croatian made the same diagnosis this time, the weight of Kyrgios’s shot left the Croatian with few opportunities to play on the baseline.
In the third game of the second set, two aggressive backhand returns from Kyrgios followed by a double fault, created further break point opportunities on the Coric serve. Kyrgios converted at the third opportunity to a break ahead at 2-1. In the midst of piling the pressure on the Coric serve – the Croatian would need to save break points at 2-4 and 3-5 – Kyrgios also lit the touch paper with a highlight reel forehand winner delivered in mid air, bringing a roar from the crowd.
Coric saved three match points on his own serve at 3-5 and two more on Kyrgios’s serve at 5-4, before finally the Australian put away a forehand winner to seal that match. It had been a flawless performance: winning 85% of his first serves, 76% of his second serves, and creating 8 break point opportunities on the Croatian’s serve, converting twice. Afterwards, Coric gave his thoughts on the match: “From the baseline, he was much better. He got the early break. It’s not easy to play like that when you’re a break down. And from the baseline, I didn’t perform very well.”
Kyrgios will be a firm favourite to win the title that escaped him in the final last year. In the semi-finals, he will play Nicolas Almagro, the veteran Spaniard, who earlier defeated Leonardo Mayer 6-4 7-5. It will be their first meeting. “He’s a guy I watched when I was growing up and I really admired the way he played,” said Kyrgios. “I’m not going to think about it too much. I know what he’s going to do and I know what I have to do to win.”