By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, March 29, 2018
Alexander Zverev slashed eight aces and did not drop serve defeating Borna Coric for the first time, 6-4, 6-4, to power into the Miami Open semifinals.
Photo credit: Miami Open
A partial power outage delayed the start of tonight's Miami Open quarterfinals for about 75 minutes.
NBA fan Alexander Zverev killed time watching the Miami Heat game in the locker room.
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Then Zverev put the all-court press on Borna Coric.
In a ferocious display of first-strike tennis, Zverev conquered Coric for the first time in three meetings, 6-4, 6-4, to power into the Miami Open semifinals.
Zverev commanded the match on serve, serving 68 percent, stinging eight aces, dropping just six points on first serve and denying the only two break points he faced all night in his opening service game.
"I think I lost the first six points of the match, wasn't the best start," Zverev told ESPN's Brad Gilbert afterward. "I'm just very happy to be through. It was very important to start well."
The victory vaults Zverev past Grigor Dimitrov into the No. 4 spot in the world rankings and into a clash vs. Pablo Carreno Busta for a place in Sunday's final.
The 16th-seeded Spaniard saved a match point in the tie break after failing to convert match points in the second set in outdueling Kevin Anderson, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (6) for the first time in five meetings.
"It was an amazing match, no?" Carreno Busta said. "I lost last week with him, 7-6 in the third set. And today, well, at the beginning of the match I start to playing really good, I think returning good, serving good, being very aggressive.
"I serve for the match in the second set, 40-15, and he played some unbelievable points, passing shots, returning really good, winner with his forehand. And after that it was a really tough mental moment for me after lose the second set. But I continue, on court, I continue fighting. At the end of the match, I save a match point with his serve in the tiebreak, and finally I won."
Carreno Busta is bidding for his first Masters 1000 final, while Zverev, who defeated Novak Djokovic in the Rome final and topped Roger Federer in the Montreal title match last summer, aims for his third career Masters championship.
"It's another tough match," Zverev said of his first meeting with Carreno Busta. "I think he's playing very well now. It doesn't get easier, but I'm ready for it and I feel good."
A resourceful Coric had won both prior meetings with Zverev, including a physical 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (4) conquest at the US Open last summer.
The 20-year-old German said he wasn't aggressive enough in the Flushing Meadows loss and was committed to playing assertive tennis in the Miami rematch.
Jitters were evident in Zverev's opening service game as he whacked a wild forehand long and faced double break point. Zverev stifled the stress holding with a 126 mph ace.
Heavy hitting reverberated throughout the fifth game as fans, including six-time former NBA champion Scottie Pippen, roared in approval.
The 6'6" Zverev soared to slam a smash converting his second break point for a 3-2 lead after 18 minutes.
Coric is a counterpuncher at heart who can use his speed to create offense. Zverev owns more firepower and showed it jolting a backhand down the line backing up the break in the sixth game.
Strong serving was the key to the opening set. Zverev zapped his sixth ace to seal it in 37 minutes, winning 16 of 20 first-serve points.
Launching first serves in excess of 130 mph, Zverev played first-strike tennis winning seven of his first nine trips to net.
Navigating through a series of stress tests both at Indian Wells and Miami have left Coric battle-hardened and he showed it fighting off break points in the seventh game, including crafting a terrific low backhand volley, as he held for 4-3.
The depth and pace of Zverev's drives backed Coric up behind the baseline.
Trying to add more height to his shots, Coric sent a backhand beyond the baseline as Zverev broke for the second time and a 5-4 lead.
Showing no trace of nerves, Zverev won a pulsating all-court point that ignited another crowd roar before closing in one hour, 23 minutes to reach his second semifinal in his last three tournaments.