Croatia leads 2-0 over the USA after Borna Coric and Marin Cilic scored two straight-set wins in the first two singles rubber matches on outdoor clay in Zadar.
Borna Coric opened the Davis Cup World Group semifinal tie between Croatia and the USA with a 6-4 7-6 6-3 win over Steve Johnson in two hours and 24 minutes. Marin Cilic gave Croatia a 2-0 lead after the first day with a 6-1 6-3 7-6 win over US 20-year-old Next Gen player Frances Tiafoe in two hours and 14 minutes.
Coric scored his 8th Davis Cup in 15 singles Davis Cup matches. He held his service games in the opening set and broke serve in the third game with a deep return. The yound Croatian player held at love in the 10th game to seal the opening set in 34 minutes. He started the second set with another break after a poor forehand from Johnson. The US player got the break back in the sixth game when Coric made a forehand error. Johnson fended off a break point at 4-4 with a smash winner. Both players went on serve until the tie-break. Johnson went up 4-3 in the tie-break but Coric bounced back by winning four consecutive points to clinch the tie-break 7-4. Coric hit forehand volley winner to take a 2-0 lead. Coric got his only break in the fourth game, when Johnson made a double fault and opened up a 4-1 lead with a hold at love in the fifth game. Coric hit a service winner, when he served for the win at 5-3 to close out the match.
“I played a very good match. I didn’t give away one break in the match aside from in the second set. I just thought he played too good. I made one sloppy mistake and everything else I played so good so I can’t say anything about myself. I started playing Davis Cup when I was 16-17 years old, so I played many ties already and I know the feeling. I know the presure”, said Coric.
In the second match Marin Cilic beat Tiafoe in straight sets to score his 37th career Davis Cup win in his 53rd match in this event.
Cilic converted five of his eight break points in the first two sets. The Croatian star won 12 of the first 13 points to open up a 3-0 lead with a break at love in the second game with a forehand winner. Tiafoe did not convert a break point in the fifth game. Cilic raced out to a 5-1 lead, when Tiafoe netted a forehand and sealed the first set with a service winner with a backhand winner in the seventh game after 26 minutes. Cilic went up a double break in the third and fifth games to build up a 4-1 lead in the second set after 47 minutes. Tiafoe got one break back in the sixth game. He forced the eighth game to five deuces on his return, but he was broken in the ninth game to lose the second set.
Both players held their serve in the first 12 games to set up a tie-break. Tiafoe got an early mini-break but Cilic pulled it back with a service winner on the seventh point with a volley winner. The Croatian player reeled off four consecutive points and sealed the win with a service winner at 6-5.
“In these later stages of my career, I enjoy so much to play in the Davis Cup. We have great success, great chemistry in the team. Atmosphere is really nice. I am also happy that Mate is back in the team. In these years before we had a great team but now we are a bit stronger and we can have more combinations”, said Cilic.
