ATP Budapest: Marin Cilic wastes MP for another loss. Coric and Djere win
After another early exit in Monte Carlo, Marin Cilic decided to seek form and wins in Budapest, taking a wild card to kick off the action as the top seed. Nonetheless, world no. 11 has extended his misery in 2019, wasting a match point in a 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 loss to Pablo Cuevas in the second round. The match lasted three hours and 12 minutes and it is one of the longest on the Tour this year in the best-of-three format, with the rivals pushing each other to the limits from start to finish. Pablo won challenger title last week and carried that form to Budapest as well, winning two points more than Marin and crossing the finish line first despite the face Marin scored one extra break overall.
Leading 4-1 in the opener, Cilic lost the advantage before scoring another break at 6-5 to take the first set and move closer to a winning start. Pablo saved that match point at 5-6 in the second set tie break, stealing the next two points on the return and delivering a service winner to prevail 8-6 and send the clash into a decider. There, they traded four breaks in the first four games and it was Marin who had to dig deep in the remaining games to stay in contention, fending off four match points at 4-5 and 5-6 to set up a deciding tie break that Pablo won 7-3 after a beautiful backhand down the line winner.
The Uruguayan is through to the fourth ATP quarter-final on clay this year after Cordoba, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro on February, making a steady return after an injury that almost sent him out from the top-100. Matteo Berrettini will play in the second quarter-final of the season following a 7-6, 6-2 triumph over Alajz Bedene in an hour and 42 minutes. The Italian unleashed fury from the first serve, winning 30 out of 30 points and never facing a break point despite landing only 53% of the first serve in. Bedene saved four break points at 2-2 in the opening set and wasted two set points in the tie break at 7-6 and 8-7 before Matteo claimed the last three points (two on the return) for a 10-8.
The youngster never looked back, scoring breaks in games two and eight in set number two to cross the finish line and stay on the title course. The 4th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili defeated Peter Gojowczyk 6-3, 0-6, 6-3 in swift an hour and 20 minutes, dominating in the sets he won and overcoming a terrible second set to move over the top and enter the last eight. The 5th seed Laslo Djere survived a tight opening round match against Ernests Gulbis and had a more relaxed day at the office on Thursday, ousting the 17-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-1 in an hour and 30 minutes for the 11th win of the season.
Rio de Janeiro champion saved all four break points he faced to mount the pressure on the youngster who got broken four times, unable to match rival's pace and making too many errors in only the second match on the ATP Tour. Djere grabbed the opener with a break in game six and added three more breaks to his tally in set number two for the place in the last eight where he will face Basilashvili. A qualifier Filip Krajinovic is trying to get back where he belongs and Budapest is the perfect opportunity for that, beating the 8th seed Radu Albot 7-5, 6-4 to stay in the title chase.
Filip lost serve twice and created more damage on the return with four breaks that propelled him over the finish line in straight sets, hoping for more of the same against Basilashvili on Friday. The 2nd seed Borna Coric managed to avoid Cilic's fate, overpowering Robin Haase 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in two hours and one minute with a late break in the deciding set. Haase gave his best to stay in touch with the better-ranked opponent, securing three breaks of serve and wasting a game point at 4-5 in the final set that could have kept him in the match even longer.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2UZ62Gk
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