Coric reaches first final of year

SAINT PETERSBURG: Croatia’s Borna Coric reached his first ATP final of the season on Saturday with victory over Joao Sousa in Saint Petersburg.

The world number 15 beat his Portuguese opponent 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 to set up a Sunday final against either home favourite Daniil Medvedev or Belarusian Egor Gerasimov. It was the third straight match that Coric had won from a set down. “I don’t like (losing the first set), either. I would love to be in two sets. Maybe one day, hopefully it’s going to come,” he said.

The fourth seed was facing defeat late in the second set, but he saved three break points in the 11th game to secure a tie-break, which he won before racing through the deciding set.