ZADAR, Croatia, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Borna Coric and Marin Cilic lifted Croatia to 2-0 lead over the United States on Friday, the first day of the semifinal tie of the Davis Cup in Zadar, a city at Croatia's Adriatic coast.
The Croatians needed less than five hours combined, using their clay court skills to dominate against Steve Johnson and Frances Tiafoe.
Young rising star but very experienced Davis Cup player, 21-year-old Borna Coric beat Steve Johnson 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-3 in two hours and 24 minutes and never looked to be rattled by his seven years older opponent who was taking part in his first live rubber ever for the US Davis Cup team.
Johnson had some shoes to fill as the US number one player in Zadar, because John Isner was back home waiting for the birth of his first child and Jack Sock was nursing injured hip. However, the world Number 30 said that his defeat had nothing to do with the pressure of the task that he has been given.
"No pressure. You come here for wins. I think he (Coric) is a phenomenal tennis player, comfortable on clay. I thought he played well today. I'd like to take two forehands back at 4-3 in the second set tiebreak, but, other than that, I left it out there, just came up a little bit short," Johnson summed up his experience playing against the player whom he beat a year ago on the clay court in Roland Garros.
No doubt that Coric used that experience to make it better this time against Johnson. He was in control of the match most of the time.
"I just lost it for a little bit in the second set, from 3-1 to 6-6. I felt that a dropped my level and he started to play better. But, I stayed calm and I didn't panic," Borna Coric described the crucial part of the match on his way to straight forward victory.
Marin Cilic made sure to keep visitors under the water with his flawless performance in the second singles rubber giving some free lessons to 20-year-old Frances Tiafoe who made his Davis Cup debut on a clay court. Finalist of an ATP Tour event in Estoril this year on the same surface couldn't keep up with the pace of Croatian number one for a set and a half and Cilic raced to a 6-1, 4-1 lead.
"He was on the high level and very relaxed. After that I've found my rhythm and played good next set and a half. I had my chances in the third and get to the fourth. I knew he is a quality player and that it would be tough but the experience was incredible," Tiafoe said after he was beaten 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (5) in two hours and 14 minutes.
That was the 37th win for Cilic in the Davis Cup, an all-time record for Croatian team. Until today he was tied with Ivan Ljubicic who led the nation to its first Davis Cup triumph. That is something Cilic is craving for. He came close in 2016 when Croatia hosted Argentina in a final played in Zagreb but Juan Martin del Potro somehow managed to escape from 0-2 sets down to victory and Federico Delbonis beat Ivo Karlovic in the deciding fifth rubber to seal the long waited triumph for Argentina.
"We are very close to our goal set at the beginning of the year but we are still not there yet. First, we have to win one more point here and I hope that we will do it in doubles on Saturday. If not, Borna and I will be ready for Sunday," Cilic said after the perfect opening day.
"It was a big day for us. Not as easy as it may look when you see the result, but we got what we wanted. It was a great day," Croatian captain Zeljko Krajan praised his singles players and remembering how different this situation is comparing it to the one after the first day of the quarterfinals in Portland two years ago when USA lead 2-0 and still couldn't find the way to win against Croatia.
"They are good in tennis. They been very good for a long time and they know how to make a team. When you have depth like they do, that makes them tough to beat as they have proven against us and against few other teams in recent years," said US captain Jim Courier who hopes that this time the story could have a better ending for his team.
"Doubles are always crucial. We had a chance to put them away two years ago and it turned tide for them and we're hoping to generate that kind of momentum for the American squat tomorrow. Every match it is a do or die for us from now."
The Americans are expected to send multiple Grand Slam winner Mike Bryan and former Roland Garros champion in doubles Ryan Harrison, against another former Roland Garros champion Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic, the current Number 3 in the world in doubles. Enditem