CINCINNATI (Reuters) - Resurgent Borna Coric powered past fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (0) 6-2 to win the Cincinnati Open on Sunday, signalling his return to full fitness from shoulder surgery and showing that he will be a threat at the U.S. Open.
On the comeback track after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder last year, Coric returned to the ATP tour in March and after eight months on the sidelines he returned to the winner’s circuit with the biggest title of his career.
Ranked 152 and in the tournament by protected classification, Coric capped a fantastic week, which included a second-round victory over Rafa Nadal, with a superb final that undoubtedly represents the 25-year-old Croatian as a black-horse contender when playing kicks off at Flushing Meadows on August 29.
It was Coric’s third career title but his first since 2018 and would see him jump the world rankings to No. 29 on Monday and qualify for the US Open.
“I couldn’t believe I would win the championship,” Coric said at a news conference after his victory. “I’m not looking forward too much.
“When I was in the semi-finals, obviously I knew who I would play in the final, because there are not many matches. But in the first two rounds, I wasn’t really focused on the next.
“I always focus on the role I’m playing now. I just believed that I could win the next game. That’s what I did for five days in a row.”