Coric sends Roger-Vasselin home
The 25th edition of the Vegeta Open Croatia tournament has just experienced great excitement. The seventeen year old Borna Coric defeated the seventh seated Eduard Roger-Vasselin. The Croatian Coric showed to be worth his wildcard beating the Frenchman in straight sets: 6-2 6-4. With the crowd behind him he showed some real guts on the centre court of Umag. He kept his nerves during two tight games, serving for the first set and later the match. He survived a couple of break points and managed to finish both sets, sending Roger-Vasselin home.
‘Serve as big as you can’
His game plan when facing a break point against him? ‘Just serve big. Serve as big as you can, because that is the most important thing to do. If you get in the rally it’s very tough. Then I can get a little bit tight and the balls are flying. I’m sweating and it is actually very tough. Being one break point down the rally is even more tough. So, that’s why I always focus on a big first serve.’ His tactic being one set or match point up? ‘Haha, actually it is the same. If I make the first serve very often I’ll win the point. And it’s a little easier, because I’m less nervous, knowing that when I would lose the point and go back to deuce I’ve still two points left.’ The number 230 looks quite confident and mentally stable on the court. ‘Do you have certain rituals or trigger words to stay relaxed on big points?’ ‘Not just for those point, but between every point in the match. When I don’t do it, I’ll start thinking about other things that are less important. For example, “who is watching me?” So, I always try to do the same thing for every point, also the big points. An example of that? ‘I’m just saying to myself “you’re playing great and you’re serving really good. Don’t be stressed, don’t be nervous. Things like that.” The next opponent of Coric is still unknown. The seated players left after Dolgopolov had to withdraw with a right knee injury are: Fognini, defending champion Robredo, Cilic, Sousa, Rosol, Seppi and Berlocq.
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