WHAT HAPPENED: That is what Stefanos Tsitsipas will be asking himself for a long time.
Tsitsipas was emphatically rolling along, up two-sets-to-one and 5-1 in the fourth set over Borna Coric. The Greek No. 4 seed was in a groove, with a torrent of winners flying off his racquet. He was minutes from the showers and the Round of 16.
Suddenly, approaching midnight, the wheels fell off. Tsitsipas blew seven match points and lost six consecutive games to the Croat, who couldn’t believe the gifts directed his way.
Coric happily accepted them, however, and marched into a decisive fifth set.
A shellshocked and bitterly disappointed Tsitsipas limped into it.
WATCH: Coric-Tsitsipas Round 3 Highlights
Yet that was only the middle act of the Greek drama being played to an empty house. Instead of going gentle into the good night, Tsitsipas somehow found the resolve to hang tough in the final set, even breaking serve and finding additional break-point opportunities to put himself in a position to again serve for the match.
The final set, as improbable as it seems, went to a tiebreak.
But even then, in a shootout, the ending seemed preordained. Tsitsipas, after all the drama, seemed destined to lose.
The 27th-seed Coric left the stage the winner after 4 hours, 36 minutes, 6-7, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6.
Stefanos Tsitsipas and his father, who is also his coach, had to believe they’d just witnessed—nay, starred in—a tragedy.
WHAT IT MEANS: Borna Coric, for his part, proved a worthy protagonist, even if Tsitsipas’ suffering was the main drama. He stayed with the more powerful Greek for three sets, maintained his calm through all the wild momentum shifts, and when the opportunity presented itself, he pounced. The Croat played excellent tactical tennis, and on crucial points, he didn’t miss.
Tsitsipas remains a threat to claim his first major because he possesses one of the most multifaceted games on the men’s side. He is a true all-court player, with an exceptional transition game, superb movement and net skills to complement his booming serve and world-class groundstrokes. But it will take an awful lot of time to get over this heart-breaking loss.
Coric, world No. 32, is a more workmanlike talent. While he has been as high as No. 12 in the world, the Croat has yet to get past the fourth round at a major.
Next up for Coric is the 63rd-ranked Australian Jordan Thompson. The Croat is in Alexander Zverev’s quarter of the draw, and Novak Djokovic’s half.
MATCH POINT: Entering the fifth set, Tsitsipas was 7-7 in tiebreaks this season, while Coric's record was 4-4, per ESPN's broadcast.
