Vienna 2022: Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Borna Coric preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Erste Bank Open
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Borna Coric.
Date: October 27, 2022.
Tournament: Erste Bank Open 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: Vienna, Austria.
Category: ATP 500.
Surface: Indoor hardcourt.
Prize money: €2,349,180.
Match timing: Approx. 7:00 pm local time, 5:00 pm GMT, 1:00 pm ET and 10:30 pm IST.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Borna Coric preview
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Borna Coric are set to clash in the second round of the 2022 Erste Bank Open on Thursday.
Tsitsipas commenced his campaign in Vienna against home favorite Dennis Novak in the first round. The Austrian was the first to go up a break as he led 4-3 in the opening set, but the World No. 5 tied the score in the very next game. The pair remained steady on serve after that, leading to a tie-break.
Tsitsipas gained the upper hand in the ensuing tie-break and clinched the set. He started the second set by breaking his opponent's serve and followed it up with a hold of his own to make it 2-0. Novak snapped the Greek's momentum with a service hold to make it 2-1.
Tsitsipas then went on a three-game run to extend his lead to 5-1. He served out the match soon after that to win 7-6 (2), 6-2.
Onwards and upwards!
@steftsitsipas eases past Novak 7-6 6-2 to reach the #ErsteBankOpen round of 16! https://t.co/2jUsvTIv2l
Borna Coric was drawn against qualifier Quentin Halys in the first round. The Frenchman bagged an early break in the opening set to lead 3-0. This solitary break was more than enough to seal the set in his favor.
The two were steady on serve for most of the second set, but Coric began to pile on the pressure towards the end. He held a couple of set points on his opponent's serve at 5-4, but failed to close out the set.
The Croatian got another crack at it with Halys serving to stay in the set at 6-5, and was successful in breaking the Frenchman's serve this time to take the set.
Coric then jumped to a 4-1 lead in the deciding set, a deficit Halys was unable to recover from. The Croat kept his nose in front until the end to complete a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 comeback victory.
: Bildagentur Zolles @ErsteBankOpen
Had to stretch out to win this one.
Good thing I am flexible 😏
📷: Bildagentur Zolles @ErsteBankOpen https://t.co/eiYD1g9qKe
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Borna Coric head-to-head
Coric leads Tsitsipas 2-1 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2022 Western & Southern Open in straight sets.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Borna Coric odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Borna Coric prediction
Tsitsipas faced some resistance from Novak in the previous round, but it was smooth sailing for him in the second set. His serve was on point, and he executed his groundstrokes with precision as well, finishing with 27 winners and six unforced errors.
Coric, meanwhile, had to dig deep to get past Halys in the first round. He got better and better as the match progressed, but against a player of Tsitsipas' caliber, he may not get a second lease of life if he's off to a slow start.
Their previous meeting was a high-profile one, as they faced off in the final of the Western & Southern Open a couple of months ago. The first set was competitive, but Coric stamped his authority in the second set. Tsitsipas went 1/7 on break points back then and will need to step it up during return games this time around.
The Greek's backhand hasn't been that steady either in recent times and is being frequently targeted. He'll need to be more careful with that shot in this match.
Tsitsipas has been in slightly better form than Coric over the past few weeks and as such will be the favorite to come through this clash.
Pick: Stefanos Tsitsipas to win in three sets.