Croatia beat the Netherlands 2-1 in Group F at the United Cup at the Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney. Borna Coric and Donna Vekic won their singles matches.
Last year’s Cincinnati champion Coric beat Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 to earn Croatia a 1-0 lead. Coric saved two points on serve at 4-5 15-40 in the first set. Coric earned three mini-breaks to race out to a 5-0 lead. Griekspoor saved four set points before Coric sealed the tie-break 7-4. Coric broke serve in the second game to take a 2-0 lead. Griekspoor broke back to draw level to 4-4. Coric broke serve in the 10th game on his third match point.
“In the first set I was feeling very good and again at 5-4 I actually played honestly a very good game and that almost cost me in the first set. In the second set I missed a little bit of matches and all the stuff. If I was playing in the past four months I would have closed that out. I did not, but I am very happy with the last game obviously as well”, said Coric.
Vekic beat Aranxta Rus 6-2 3-6 6-1 to clinch the tie for Croatia. Vekic broke twice in the fifth and seventh games to take a 6-2 lead. Rus did not face a break point before breaking serve to take a 4-3 lead after a series of forehands from Vekic. Both players traded breaks in the second and third games. Vekic broke twice to open up a 5-1 lead.
Ivan Dodig and Donna Vekic held a match point in the mixed doubles match, but Wesley Koolhof and Demi Schhurs beat the Croatian team 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 14-12. Koolhof hit a backhand volley to save match point at 11-10.
“I am happy with the win. It was a very exciting match, especially at the end. It was very close, it could have gone both ways, but of course we wanted to win in two sets and we knew that before the match. It’s a lot of emotions”, said Schuurs.
