Coric, Cilic give Croatia 2-0 lead over U.S. in Davis Cup semifinals
Borna Coric pulled off a throughthe-legs lob shot winner that had the crowd bowing in admiration during the Davis Cup semifinals on Friday in Zadar, Croatia.
Early in the third set of a 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory over Steve Johnson, Coric ran down a lob and replied with a shot known as a “tweener” that flew over the head of his 6-foot-2 opponent and landed within inches of the baseline.
Later, sixth-ranked Marin Cilic gave Croatia a 2-0 lead over the United States with a 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory over Davis Cup debutant Frances Tiafoe.
The 21-year-old Coric, considered one of the top up-and-coming players in the game, said he had never before even come close to landing such a difficult shot.
“I normally go somehow around my back,” he said. “But I just felt that I can do it. It was not such an important point, so I just did it. Honestly I never do it in practice as well, so I don’t know how it was that good, to be honest. It was really luck.
“I did mean it (to be a lob) but I thought I’m going to miss by a lot,” Coric added. “But I made it.”
U.S. captain Jim Courier was impressed.
“It was special. That was a great shot. That one will be on a highlight reel for a while,” Courier said. “Of course he lost the next point, and it counted the same, so I always remind myself that though they look good they only count the same as the next point coming.”
Moments earlier, the 18th-ranked Coric had landed a delicate forehand drop-shot winner to close out a close second-set tiebreak.
“He came up with some good stuff today,” Johnson said.
Cilic breezed through the first set in 26 minutes, but Tiafoe pushed the 2014 U.S. Open winner over the second half of the match.
“In the third set he showed that he’s capable of playing great tennis. He was serving really good and also hitting well from the back,” Cilic said. “I was definitely a little bit lucky toward the end of that tiebreak to win it.”
In today’s doubles, Croatia’s Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic will face Mike Bryan and Ryan Harrison with a chance to clinch the best-of-five series. The reverse singles are on Sunday.