Coric refiring after long road back

Some two years after shoulder surgery, Borna Coric beat Argentina's Pedro Cachin 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday to reach the third round of Roland-Garros for the first time since 2019.

Some players put their success down to their work ethic; others say that routine and practice is key. For the No.15 seed at this year’s Roland-Garros, the secret might be Donna Vekic's cooking, as he admitted he has been enjoying dinners of salmon and rice cooked by his fellow Croatian player.

Coric will probably need another good meal after his win over Cachin, which took four hours, 23 minutes. It was the 12th five-set battle of his career and Coric has now won eight of them.

“I would love that it's not like that [going five sets] and that I can also win sometimes easy,” he said. “It is what it is. Here in Roland-Garros this year, I can say I'm actually playing good tennis but not on my best level. I think that's why I just need to grind it out.

“I was feeling comfortable, to be honest. I was feeling fit. I was not tired. I didn't have any pains in my body. I felt I could play for maybe two hours [more].

“I was a little bit unlucky on 1-all and love-40. Didn't use my chance there. And then I just got broke and played a really, really poor game. Then you just needed to grind it out, like I said.”

Road to recovery

Coric's shoulder surgery in 2021 kept him off the ATP Tour for the rest of that year and at one stage dropped him outside the world’s top 250.

Despite the extensive rehabilitation required, the Croatian never gave up hope of getting back toward the top.

>> CORIC BACK IN WINNERS' CIRCLE AFTER INJURY AGONY

“When I was down, when I was injured, I knew I need to invest in the process,” he said. “Last year actually here at Roland-Garros I lost in the second round. Then I lost another two matches on the Challenger Tour.

“I knew it doesn't take a lot for me to come back [to form]. So I just kept working. I was also hoping that my shoulder is going to be fine, which it is. I knew it's gonna come; well, I was believing it's gonna come. You just need maybe one or the two tournaments good, and then you're back in the top 50, top 60. Then you're back on Tour.”

'I just need to focus'

Coric now plays another Argentinian, Tomas Martin Etcheverry, as he bids to reach the fourth round for the first time at Roland-Garros.

“It does feel great, obviously,” he said. “Very, very happy to be in the third round. I won two very tough matches against very good guys, who are playing on the clay for most of the year, which is not the case for me. So I'm very, very happy with that.

“On Etcheverry, actually we played last year in Perugia. He beat me very, very easily. That was actually my second match after Roland-Garros.

“This year, I think he's playing great. I was watching his match against Novak [Djokovic] in Rome. It was a very, very close match. I watched him couple other times, so I know how he plays. I have also played him last year. It's going to be very good match.”

“Now the focus is to recover. Tomorrow is going to be a very, very easy day. Then I just need to focus.”