US Open 2020: Alexander Zverev vs Borna Coric preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: Alexander Zverev vs Borna Coric
Date: 8 September 2020
Tournament: US Open 2020
Round: Quarter-finals
Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York, USA
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $39,024,000
Match timing: 1.30 pm EDT, 11 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel / ESPN | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Alexander Zverev vs Borna Coric preview
Alexander Zverev has given a good account of himself at the 2020 US Open so far, making it to the quarterfinal of the tournament for the first time in his career. He will now have a chance to reach just the second Slam semifinal of his career, when he takes on Borna Coric of Croatia on Tuesday.
Zverev's campaign got off to a slightly tiring start, with each of his first three matches stretching to four sets. The No. 5 seed had a stiff challenge in the form of Kevin Anderson in the first round, but managed to beat the South African 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-3, 7-5.
He then got past Brandon Nakashima in the second round before downing Adrian Mannarino in the Round of 32, dropping a set each time. Zverev's most clinical performance of the tournament came in the fourth round against Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, whom he bulldozed for a 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 win.
Like Zverev, Borna Coric also dealt with a few intense fixtures in his initial rounds. While he beat Pablo Andujar in straight sets in his tournament opener, the Croat was stretched to five sets by Juan Ignacio Londero and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second and third rounds respectively.
However, Coric has not let fatigue get the better of him so far. He looked in excellent touch in his fourth-round match against Australia's Jordan Thompson, whom he beat 7-5, 6-1, 6-3.
This is the 23-year-old's maiden appearance in a Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Alexander Zverev vs Borna Coric head-to-head
Alexander Zverev and Borna Coric have faced off in four matches on tour so far, with the Croat leading the head-to-head 3-1. Zverev is ranked 25 places ahead of Coric at the moment, but has won just one match against him so far.
Coric won the first two encounters between the duo in 2015 and 2017, before Zverev got his first win over him at the Miami Masters in 2018. However, Coric bounced back from the defeat in Halle last year, clinching an easy 6-1, 6-4 win.
The second meeting between the pair was in the second round of the 2017 US Open. Coric won in four sets then, coming back from one set down to clinch the encounter 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(1), 7-6(4).
The two have locked horns thrice on hardcourt, with Coric winning two of them. However, Zverev has won their latest fixture on the surface.
Also check out: The complete US Open 2020 Schedule
Alexander Zverev vs Borna Coric prediction
This promises to be an intense battle between two young and hungry players who have a lot at stake. With No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic disqualified, the tournament has been blown wide open and all eight players in contention will fancy their chances.
While Zverev has been in a Grand Slam quarterfinal before, this will be a novel experience for Coric.
Zverev has a powerful game that relies on his big serve and his accurate, deep groundstrokes. The German leads the charts for most aces in the tournament, with a staggering 74 top-notch serves already under his belt.
Coric, who moves extremely well on the court, will need to be on top of his game to challenge the No. 5 seed. But the Croat is in the form of his life, and will take confidence from his superior head-to-head record against Zverev.
Prediction: Borna Coric to win in five sets.