BUDAPEST, April 25, 2019
Pablo Cuevas knocked out top seed Marin Cilic of Croatia in the second round of the Hungarian Open on Thursday. The World No. 73 from Uruguay came back from a set down, winning 5-7, 7-6(6), 7-6(3).
Cuevas needed to save one match point in the tie-break of the second set to prevail after three hours and 12 minutes. “To beat a player like Cilic is very important for me, so I’m very happy for this,” said Cuevas. “It was a very tough match, but I have confidence and fought for every ball today.”
The 33-year-old arrived in Budpest in good form following his 13th triumph on the ATP Challenger Tour in Tunis last weekend. Cuevas will next take on Italian young gun Matteo Berrettini, who fired 13 aces to edge out Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia after one hour and 42 minutes.
Coric advances
No. 2 seed Borna Coric found his way into the quarterfinals of the ATP 250 clay-court event. The 22-year-old Croat battled past Robin Haase from the Netherland 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Coric capitalized on five of his seven break point chances to prevail after two hours and one minute.
Coric will next take on Filip Krajinovic for a place in the last four after the Serbian qualifier defeated eighth seed Radu Albot of Moldova 7-5, 6-4.
“I started very well in the match, but was not putting so much pressure on him in the second set and he started to play better,” said Coric. “I just stayed calm and started to play better at the end of the match.”
Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia also had to go the distance against Peter Gojowczyk, winning 6-3, 0-6, 6-3. The No. 4 seed advanced in one hour and 20 minutes to face Laslo Djere next. The fifth seed from Serbia ended the main draw debut of Italian teenager Jannik Sinner with a 6-3, 6-1 victory in one hour and 30 minues.
Thursday’s Results
P. Cuevas (URU) d [1] [WC] M. Cilic (CRO) 57 76(6) 76(3)
[2] B. Coric (CRO) d R. Haase (NED) 63 46 64
[4] N. Basilashvili (GEO) d P. Gojowczyk (GER) 63 06 63
[5] L. Djere (SRB) d [LL] J. Sinner (ITA) 63 61
[Q] F. Krajinovic (SRB) d [8] R. Albot (MDA) 75 64
M. Berrettini (ITA) d A. Bedene (SLO) 76(8) 62
