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Match details
Fixture: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Borna Coric
Date: 4 September 2020
Tournament: US Open 2020
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $39,024,000
Match timing: 5 pm EDT, 2.30 am IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Borna Coric preview
Fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas looks to further his bid for a maiden Grand Slam title at the US Open this year, as he takes on Borna Coric in the third round on Friday.
The Greek player has reached this stage after two solid performances in the opening rounds at Flushing Meadows, running past both Albert Ramos-Vinolas and Maxime Cressy in straight sets.
Tsitsipas, in fact, has looked in good nick since the restart of the tennis season. He reached the semifinal of the Cincinnati Masters last week, eventually bowing out to Milos Raonic.
Stefanos Tsitsipas' next opponent, Croatia's Borna Coric, has been in the news for all the wrong reasons over the past few months. Coric was involved in Novak Djokovic's controversial Adria Tour, where he was one of the players to have tested positive for COVID-19.
The extent of his physical discomfort was minimal though, and he came into the Western & Southern Open looking relatively fresh. After winning his first match against Benoit Paire due to a retirement, he bowed out to David Goffin.
Coric won his US Open first-round encounter with Pablo Andujar relative ease. But the World No. 32 struggled against Juan Ignacio Londero in the second round, where he had to overcome a two-sets-to-one deficit in a match that lasted nearly four and a half hours.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Borna Coric head-to-head
This will be the second meeting between the two players on the tour, and Stefanos Tsitsipas leads 1-0 in the head-to-head against Borna Coric.
Tsitsipas defeated Coric in a truncated first-round match at the Rome Masters in 2018. The Greek broke serve early and raced to a 4-1 first-set lead, before Coric had to retire due to injury.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Borna Coric prediction
Given the difference in their rankings and form over the last few months, Stefanos Tsitsipas comes into the match as the favorite.
Tsitsipas has shown several improvements in his game recently, at both the Western & Southern Open and the US Open so far. The 22-year-old has displayed a more composed side to his play and has noticeably improved from the back of the court. His return game was also excellent against Maxime Cressy in particular.
However, Borna Coric certainly has the game to cause an upset against the World No. 6. The Croat's defensive prowess is well-known, and he will attempt to use the pace in Tsitsipas' shots against him.
That said, the variations in Tsitsipas' game and his recent form will likely be enough to take him to the finish line in this match.
Prediction: Stefanos Tsitsipas to win in four sets.
