Borna Coric comes back from 1-5 down in the 4th set, saving six match points, to beat Tsitsipas
Croat Borna Coric saved six match points as he rallied from 5-1 down in the fourth set to stun Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) and send the fourth seed tumbling out of US Open in the third round on Friday.
In the sort of late drama that would on any other year have had the Flushing Meadows crowd baying for more, Coric staged a remarkable comeback at an empty Louis Armstrong Stadium to reach the fourth round after the fifth set tiebreak.
The gritty 27th seed had looked down for the count when Tsitsipas twice served for the match in the fourth set but the 22-year-old Greek faltered with victory in his grasp.
Coric again had to come from a break down in the fifth but looked indefatigable even after 4 and 1/2 hours on court and secured a famous victory on his second match point.
“I just have to be honest and have to say that I was real lucky,” said Coric, who will face Australian Jordan Thompson on Sunday for a spot in his first Grand Slam quarter-final.
Earlier, Alexander Zverev feared his tie with Adrian Mannarino might not go ahead due to coronavirus protocols but the German secured a 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win in a match delayed almost three hours due to talks between the organisers and New York health officials.
The third-round clash was originally scheduled to start at 2.30pm local time at Louis Armstrong Stadium but was pushed back while the United States Tennis Association engaged in “collaborative dialogue” with health officials.
“I was told there is very little chance that we were going to play,” Zverev said courtside after the match. “The New York State called and said he (Mannarino) shouldn’t play.
“So it was back and forth, back and forth... it was political, not about us players.”
Zverev next faces Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who defeated Britain’s Cameron Norrie 7-6 (7-2), 4-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Top seed Novak Djokovic continued his dominance of Jan-Lennard Struff with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 win to advance to the fourth round. The three-time champion at Flushing Meadows and 17-time Grand Slam winner was never really pushed by the German, who has taken just one set off the Serb in their five career meetings.
The only drama came early on when Struff had break-point opportunities but could not convert against Djokovic’s serve in the first game.