Croatian tennis player Borna Coric won the Cincinnati Masters after defeating tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets 7-6(0), 6-2 in the finals. Coric scripted a memorable comeback after trailing 1-4 in the first set, hurrying past world no seven in both the sets.
The former world no 12 played spectacular tennis in the tournament defeating the likes of Rafael Nadal, Cameron Norrie, Felix Auger Aliassime and Roberto Bautista Agut on his way to clinching his maiden Masters 1000 crown. Coric dropped just one set during his run to the championship match in his sixth appearance at the hard-court event. The 25-year-old has now clinched three tour-level titles on all three surfaces, having soared to success on clay in Marrakech in 2017 and on grass in Halle in 2018.
The Croatian went under the knife in May last year owing to a shoulder injury. Coric had reached a career-high World No. 12 after winning nine matches against opponents ranked in the top five. Prior to his incredible run in Cincinnati, the Croatian, who made his comeback in Indian Wells this March, had dropped 8 of his 13 matches on the tour in 2022. In his post-match speech, the tennis player thanked his family, support team and his physio for continuously supporting him.
After the win, he said, “Thank you to my parents, who are not here, my sister and my team. It has been very tough for us,” Coric added during the trophy ceremony. “With my physio, if I didn’t have him I wouldn’t be on the court… Then of course to my tennis coach, Mate. We have been working very hard and now we are here.” Appreciating his opponent, the player stated that it was a very tough match for him and was struggling in the beginning but found his rhythm later to close the match.
During the on-court interview, the champion said, “It was a very, very tough match. In the beginning, I wasn’t playing very well and he was pushing me very hard. But I started to serve better and play better and I was fighting hard,” Coric said in his on-court interview. “Then in the second set, I thought I played the best set of the whole year.”
