Croatia’s Borna Ćorić has reached his second quarterfinal of 2018 and second at the Dubai tournament.
Borna Ćorić became the first quarterfinalist of this year’s ATP 500 Series Dubai Tournament, where he quickly beat Frenchman Benoit Paire (ATP-46) 6-1, 6-4 in only 63 minutes of play in two sets, reports Gol.hr on February 28, 2018.
Croatia’s 21-year-old tennis player finished the first set in 26 minutes, and after Ćorić took a 4-1 lead in the second set, it seemed that the winning result was then apparent. However, the French tennis player was able to forge a short turnaround. He claimed three games, returned the ‘break’ and equalized for 4-4. Ćorić then re-engaged, held the 5-4 lead service, and in the next game, he took the opportunity for the fifth break, realizing the first match ball.
This was the second match between Ćorić and Paire and the second victory for the player from Zagreb. Ćorić defeated Paire the first time in Cincinnati, 2016.
For a spot in the semifinals, Ćorić will play against the 3rd seed, Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut (ATP – 23) who overtook the French tennis player Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-1.
After defeating Herbert, the 29-year-old Spaniard has equalized his best result at the Dubai tournament, where he advanced to the quarterfinals in 2016. This will also be Ćorić’s second quarterfinal match in this tournament. Three years ago, Ćorić beat Andy Murray, the then third best tennis player in the world, in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals against Roger Federer.
Ćorić (ATP – 50) has played four games against Bautista Agut, and only once claimed a victory – in the quarterfinals of the Indian Chennai tournament in 2016. The Spaniard triumphed the 21-year-old in 2015 at the quarterfinals in Umag, the same year in Hamburg, and in 2016 at Roland Garros.
Translated from Gol.hr
