Caruso Stuns Coric In Umag

Italian qualifier Salvatore Caruso scored the biggest win of his career on Thursday at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag, downing second seed and local favourite Borna Coric 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 for his first ATP Tour quarter-final.

The 26-year-old Caruso has caught fire on the clay in recent months, coming through qualifying and winning his first Grand Slam main draw matches to reach the third round at Roland Garros. He also qualified at Wimbledon, ’s-Hertogenbosch and Estoril.

Next up for the Italian is Argentine Facundo Bagnis, who eased past Croatian wild card Nino Serdarusic 6-3, 6-3. The 29-year-old is through to his first ATP Tour quarter-final since last July in Gstaad.

Fourth-seeded Serbian Dusan Lajovic recorded an impressive 6-4, 6-3 win over Russian Andrey Rublev. Lajovic won the first 14 points of the second set en route to his 70-minute victory. The World No. 36 in the ATP Rankings is into his first ATP Tour quarter-final since finishing runner-up in April at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (l. to Fognini).

Lajovic will now play Slovenian Aljaz Bedene, who celebrated his 30th birthday with a 7-6(3), 6-3 win over #NextGenATP Italian Jannik Sinner. All three of Bedene’s ATP Tour quarter-finals this season have come on clay.