Coric sets clash with defending champion Baez in Winston-Salem

Will this be the year Borna Coric emerges victorious at the Winston-Salem Open? The former No. 12 player in the PIF ATP Rankings made a good start towards that goal on Sunday.

Coric defeated Sumit Nagal 6-4, 6-2 in 70 minutes to reach the second round of the ATP 250 event. The Croatian is now 8-3 at the tournament, including a semi-final showing last year.

“I like the fast conditions, and obviously, also during the day, it's actually much quicker than when I play at night,” Coric said in his on-court interview. “But I like the city as well. It's obviously very calm and before I go to New York, I need some calm, so that's very good.”

After breaking to open the second set, Coric lost his serve in the next game. But the three-time ATP Tour titlist remained undeterred, claiming 89 per cent of his first-serve points and breaking Nagal’s serve four times to move on.

“I knew obviously I didn't need to panic, because it was still one-all, and I just stayed calm,” Coric said. “I was feeling very good on the court today, so I knew I just needed to be patient and my time would come.”

Coric will next face top seed Sebastian Baez, who lifted the Winston-Salem trophy last year.

In the match of the day, Zizou Bergs clawed past big-serving American wild card Reilly Opelka 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(1) in two hours and 20 minutes. The Belgian withstood 14 Opelka aces and saved three of the four break points he faced.

“It's great. I came early because I lost early in Cincinnati, so I had some time to explore a little bit,” Bergs said. The second-round opponent for sixth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry later added: “I just got my first match with a nice atmosphere. So it was good, night session is always special and nice to get [a win].”

In the top section of the draw, Frenchman Arthur Cazaux overcame Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-1, 7-6(3). In a match that was interrupted by heavy rain, Cazaux rallied from a 0-3 deficit in the second set to triumph in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting and set a clash with 16th seed Rinky Hijikata.

Australian Aleksandar Vukic hit 11 aces and converted four of his 15 break points to rally past Briton Daniel Evans 2-6, 6-4, 6-1. Vukic did not face a break point after the first set according to Infosys ATP Stats and he will next challenge fourth seed Adrian Mannarino.

Hungarian Marton Fucsovics also won a three-setter, battling past Japan’s Taro Daniel 4-6, 6-1, 6-2. He will take on #NextGenATP American Alex Michelsen, who is still in Cincinnati to compete in the ATP Masters 1000 event’s doubles final at 1 p.m. Monday alongside Mackenzie McDonald, who is scheduled to play singles later in the evening in Winston-Salem against Corentin Moutet.