Four-time Rome finalist Roger Federer fought back from one set down to beat Borna Coric 2-6 6-4 7-6 (9-7) in a dramatic match after 2 hours and 31 minutes in the third round at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.
Coric beat Federer twice in 2018 in the final of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle and in Shanghai, but Federer won their most recent head-to-head clash in the semifinal in Dubai last February. The Croatian player was two match points away from scoring his third win over Federer, but the Swiss legend saved them to win the decisive tie-break 9-7. Federer saved five of the eight break points he faced and broke twice.
Coric dropped just nine points on serve and broke twice in a row in the first and third games to open up a 3-0 lead to win the first set 6-2. Coric broke in the first game, forcing an error from Federer. Coric opened up a 3-0 lead after a backhand error from Federer. Coric saved a break point in the fourth game and closed out the first set with a hold of serve in the eighth game after 40 minutes.
The second set went on serve in the first five games before Federer converted his second break point chance to take a 4-2 lead after a loose forehand from Coric.
The Swiss legend came back from 40-0 to save three break points at deuce in the seventh game, but he dropped serve at love in the ninth game. Federer converted his second break point chance in the 10th game to close out the second set 6-4, as Coric hit a forehand long.
Federer saved a break point at 2-2 after forcing an error from Coric, and another chance in ninth game to hold his serve. The third set went on serve with no breaks of serve and was decided by the tie-break. Coric brought up two match points at 6-4, but Federer saved them and won his third consecutive point to clinch a dramatic tie-break 9-7.
Federer saved two match points against Monfils last week to reach the Madrid quarter final last week, but he did not convert two match points against Dominic Thiem in the quarter final.
“The first set was really difficult, for me at least, I really struggled to see the ball. There was a lot of shade on the court. He did well. He was a steady player. I could not chase the lines very well, so I could not hit any winners, but I really tried to play in a way where I was not going to just lose it. It was very tight. I got very lucky again already like in Madrid. It’s nice to get lucky, I guess sometimes. I have lost a lot of heartbreakers throughout the years, so it’s nice to win these and the atmosphere was fantastic. People were going crazy. It’s exactly how you want the atmosphere here”, said Federer.
