Borna Gojo takes down Adrian Mannarino in the United Cup Epic | ATP tour
A remarkable comeback in the third set Borna Gojo sealed dramatic United Cup victory for Croatia on Tuesday in Perth, where the 144th player in the world was better Adrian Mannarino 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(5) to secure his country a clash in the city final against Greece.
Gojo was under pressure after world No.4 Caroline Garcia beat Petra Martic in straight sets to cut France’s deficit to 1-2 in the Group F decider, but the 24-year-old was ice-cold under pressure in two game-breaks for a win against an opponent who is 98 places above him in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.
Some big serves ensured Gojo maintained his foothold on the rubber as Mannarino became the dominant player in the second and third sets, but the Frenchman failed to serve for the match at 5-3 in the decider and Gojo’s newfound momentum took him to three match points in 12th match.
Mannarino kept his typical cool to save them all, but Gojo was not to be denied as he opened up an unassailable 5/1 lead in the tie-break on his way to a two hour and 50 minute victory in which he fired 14 aces.
“I do not know [how I won]”, said Gojo after the match. “There is no right answer. I just tried to take the support of the team and take the energy. In the third I was a bit down and thanks to them I won. Without them I would have lost.”
Croatia captain Iva Majoli was delighted to secure victory in a tied game with one game to spare after Mannarino came just one game from contention in Group F.
“We knew 2-0 was a big advantage and today we put more pressure on France,” said Majoli. “But we knew that every game today would be difficult. They had their top players and very open games. I mean, it could have gone either way. Mixed, you never know. They were probably slight favorites in the mix.
“I am always very positive and I always believe in the players, even sometimes when we are underdogs, I feel positive. It was the same today. Petra was very close, but then Borna simply played fantastically and closed the match.”
SCENESSSS ðŸ‡ðŸ‡·
Borna Gojo defeats Mannarina 7-6 3-6 7-6 after a WILD final set to secure Croatia a spot in the Perth City Final!#UnitedCup pic.twitter.com/mPhbf1QPQp
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) January 3, 2023
WTA Finals champion Garcia had earlier beaten Martic in a must-win race to keep France’s hopes of reaching the city final alive. Garcia entered her clash with Martić with a promising 4-1 one-on-one record. The WTA Finals champion backed it up, making it 5-1 with a 7-6(9), 6-4 win, denying Martic a chance to win for her team.
Fittingly for a contest between two of the best servers on Tour, the first set went down to the wire and was decided by the slimmest of margins. Through the first 12 games, it was Martic who created more opportunities on the return, using her sliced ​​backhand to fine effect – including one lofted lob that left Garcia flailing.
Garcia needed her best serves to save break points in the first and ninth games; in contrast, despite serving second, Martic conceded just four points behind her serve in the first 12 games.
The ensuing tie-break was an exciting microcosm of the match as a whole. Momentum shifted back and forth between the pair, with Garcia having to save one set point at 6/7 before converting her fifth with a short forehand drop.
🇫🇷 @CaroGarcia takes the first set 7-6 against Martić!#UnitedCup pic.twitter.com/PEIcCwjEdj
— United Cup (@UnitedCupTennis) January 3, 2023
Garcia still had to avoid two more break points at the start of the second set, but that was her last moment of danger. In the next game, she broke Martić’s goal, sealing the match by charging forward on a return ball and finding the game-winning volley that clipped the net on its way to the open court.
The Frenchwoman, who fired seven aces among her 33 total winners, dropped just four more points on serve as she maintained her lead for the rest of the match.
It was a very difficult match, Garcia said. “I expected a tough battle against Petra — we’ve played a few times in 2022 and it’s always going to be a battle of serve and who can be the most aggressive. The first set was great tennis, especially the intensity of the tie-break — it was a crazy scenario. I’m just happy to managed to stay very calm and focused, point by point, even after I made a few easy mistakes.”