Borna Coric lived to fight another day on Friday when he saved one match point to edge into the Libema Open semi-finals. The second-seeded Croatian recovered from 2-5 down in the third set to knock out seventh seed Cristian Garin of Chile 6-7(4), 6-3, 7-6(6) in two hours and 30 minutes.

Coric fought back and saved one match point with his 16th ace of the match at 5/6 in the deciding-set tie-break to set up a clash against Adrian Mannarino of France.

“It was obviously a very, very tough match as I was 2-5 down in the third set, a double break,” Coric told ATPTour.com. “I was packing my bag on the changeover, but then I maybe relaxed and played a little bit better. I turned the match around somehow. I’m not too tired and now I have 20 hours to recover.”

Almost 12 months ago, Coric lifted his second ATP Tour trophy with victory over Roger Federer in the Noventi Open final in Halle. The 22-year-old reached the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships semi-finals in February and is now 19-10 in 2019.

View ‘s-Hertogenbosch Singles & Doubles Draws

The 23-year-old Garin was unable to convert two break points on Coric’s serve at 5-5, 15/40, but won six of the first seven points in the tie-break and eventually closed out on his fourth set point. Two groundstroke errors from Garin saw Coric break twice — at 3-3 and 3-5 — in the second set, before the World No. 32 bounced back to lead 5-2 in the decider. Coric then won 16 of the next 21 points to lead 6-5.

In a little more than four months, Garin has risen from No. 95 in the ATP Rankings on 4 February to a career-high No. 32. He has compiled a 22-9 match record in 2019, including two ATP Tour titles at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship (d. Ruud) and at the BMW Open by FWU (d. Berrettini). He also reached the Brasil Open final in Sao Paulo (l. to Pella).

Mannarino recorded his first win over fifth-seeded Belgian David Goffin 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the pair’s fifth meeting, which lasted two hours and 26 minutes. Goffin, who won the first four games of the match, was unable to convert one break point at 5-5 in the second set.

Elsewhere, Jordan Thompson advanced to his first ATP Tour semi-final with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over fellow Australian Alex de Minaur, the third seed, in just under two hours. De Minaur had recorded wins over Thompson in the first two weeks of the season at the Brisbane International and at the Sydney International.

Having gone 1-11 at tour-level in 2018, the 25-year-old is already 18-11 on the season with his third Top 30 victory of 2019, which includes wins over Karen Khachanov and Grigor Dimitrov at the Miami Open presented by Itau in March.

Defending champion Richard Gasquet needed to play two matches on Friday. The eighth seed first beat Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 6-4, 6-3 in 84 minutes, starting with a 6-4, 1-2 lead carried over from Thursday night. The Frenchman then returned six hours later to knock out Chile’s Nicolas Jarry 7-6(8), 6-4 for a place in the semi-finals. He saved three set points at 5/6, 6/7 and 7/8 in the first set tie-break.

Entering 2019, #NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime was outside of the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings and he had never made an ATP Tour semi-final. But on Friday, the 18-year-old saved a match point en route to defeating German qualifier Dustin Brown 7-6(3), 6-7(2), 7-6(2) to reach his fourth tour-level semi-final as he continues his pursuit of a maiden ATP Tour title at the MercedesCup.

Auger-Aliassime, who struck 30 aces, will play sixth seed and former Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic for a spot in his third tour-level final. The teenager reached the championship match at the Rio Open presented by Claro and the Open Parc Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Lyon, which both are played on clay.

The seventh seed was projected to face reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev in the last eight. But Brown, the athletic, shotmaking qualifier upset the top seed on Thursday. And the German did not make it easy on Auger-Aliassime, serving for the match at 5-4 in the third set.

But Brown let slip his one match point when he missed a high forehand volley wide. And on his seventh break point of the match, Felix chased down a lob, quickly turned around and whipped a forehand past the German to earn his first service break.

And that was all the momentum Felix needed. Auger-Aliassime earned two quick mini-breaks in the final-set tie-break — Brown missed a forehand volley long, and the seventh seed then crushed a backhand passing shot for a winner — en route to a 5/0 lead, and he never looked back.

Not only did the #NextGenATP star win 83 per cent of his first-serve points, but 46.9 per cent of the first serves he made resulted in an ace.

Brown began the week without having won a tour-level match since the 2017 US Open, and he was trying to make his first ATP Tour semi-final since Gstaad in 2016.

Did You Know?
This is the first time Auger-Aliassime has played three tie-breaks in a single match as a professional. Earlier this year at the BNP Paribas Open, he lost a final-set tie-break against Yoshihito Nishioka.

On Friday, the Laver Cup announced that Roland Garros finalist Dominic Thiem, World No. 5 Alexander Zverev and Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters champion Fabio Fognini will join Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer on Team Europe at the Laver Cup this September in Geneva. Only one spot on the team remains.

“Being part of Team Europe at Laver Cup in Prague was an unbelievable experience. It’s so unique being on the same team as the players you are usually fighting against across the net,” Thiem said. “When we played together in Prague (in 2017), Rafa and Roger cheered me on from the side of the court and gave me tactics for the matches. It was cool to have such legends of the game supporting me. I’m really looking forward to experiencing the Laver Cup again.”

Zverev, the reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion, triumphed in Geneva in May for his first ATP Tour title of the season.

“Laver Cup is one of the most fun weeks of my year,” Zverev said. “Winning in Prague and Chicago as part of Team Europe has been unbelievable. There’s a team spirit and team atmosphere that’s unlike any other. I can’t wait to get together again and defend our title.”

Fognini, who cracked the Top 10 in the ATP Rankings this week to become the oldest player to do so for the first time since 1973, will compete at the Laver Cup for the first time.

“I’m very excited to be playing the Laver Cup in September,” Fognini said. “Playing as part of a team is special in tennis, where we are more used to having a one-on-one battle every match. I’m looking forward to competing alongside all the great players on Team Europe.”

Team Europe Captain Björn Borg, is looking forward to working with his team.

“I’m delighted to have Dom (Thiem) back in the team. He was a great player for us in Prague and his form is outstanding, as we saw recently in his run to the final at Roland Garros,” Borg said. “Sascha (Zverev) is not just one of the rising stars of the game, [but] he’s a great team player and loves this competition. Fabio is renowned for his passion and has had an incredible season and I have no doubt he’ll make a great contribution to the team.

“This talented group of players, alongside Rafa and Roger, two of the greatest players of all time, gives us an incredibly strong team and I believe we are in a very good position to win the title for a third time.”

The third edition of the Laver Cup will take place at the Palexpo, Geneva, from 20-22 September 2019. Team Europe hoisted the trophy at the inaugural event in Prague in 2017 and in Chicago in 2018. Team World Captain John McEnroe will announce his first team members in the coming weeks.

Jan-Lennard Struff was dominant on serve against 2017 champion Lucas Pouille on Friday in a 6-4, 6-4 victory over 70 minutes at the MercedesCup. The German, who recorded his first win in four FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting against Pouille, is through to his first ATP Tour semi-final since January 2019 at the ASB Classic in Auckland (l. to Norrie).

Struff will now play Karen Khachanov’s conqueror, Italy’s Matteo Berrettini, who won 90 per cent of his first-service points to beat American Denis Kudla on German soil for the second time this season. Berrettini won 6-3, 6-3 in 72 minutes, one month on from their BMW Open by FWU Open second-round encounter.

The newly renamed NOVENTI OPEN, formerly the GERRY WEBER OPEN, is one of two ATP 500 tournaments on grass, along with the Fever-Tree Championships at The Queen’s Club in London. 

Roger Federer, who has won a record nine Halle titles from 12 finals (63-7 match record), will make his 17th tournament appearance this year. The 37-year-old Swiss will be joined in the 2019 field by fellow Top 10 stars Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev, Kei Nishikori and Karen Khachanov, as well as defending champion Borna Coric. The Croatian recorded Top 5 wins over Zverev and Federer in the semi-finals and final last year to claim his biggest career title. 

Here’s all you need to know about the Halle tennis tournament: when is the draw, what is the schedule, where to watch, who won and more. 

Established: 1993

Tournament Dates: 17-23 June 2019

Tournament Director: Ralf Weber

Draw Ceremony: Saturday, 15 June at 2:00pm

Schedule
* Qualifying: Saturday and Sunday at 11:00am
* Main draw: Monday – Friday at 12:00pm, Saturday at 1:00pm
* Singles final: Sunday, 23 June at 1:00pm
* Doubles final: Sunday, 23 June at 3:30pm

How To Watch
Watch Live On Tennis TV 
TV Schedule

Venue: Gerry Weber Stadion
Main Court Seating: 11,500

Prize Money: €2,081,830 (Total Financial Commitment: €2,219,150) 

Tickets On Sale: Buy Now

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

Honour Roll (Open Era)
Most Titles, Singles: Roger Federer (9)
Most Titles, Doubles: Jonas Bjorkman, David Rikl, Mikhail Youzhny, Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, Julian Knowle, Raven Klaasen, Rajeev Ram, Lukasz Kubot, Marcelo Melo (2)
Oldest Champion: Roger Federer, 35, in 2017
Youngest Champion: Borna Coric, 21, in 2018
Lowest-Ranked Champion: No. 192 Florian Mayer in 2016
Most Match Wins: Roger Federer (63)

2018 Finals
Singles: Borna Coric (CRO) d [1] Roger Federer (SUI) 76(6) 36 62   Read & Watch
Doubles: [1] Lukasz Kubot (POL) / Marcelo Melo (BRA) d Alexander Zverev (GER) / Mischa Zverev (GER) 76(1) 64  Read More

Social
Hashtag: #NOVENTIOPEN
Facebook: @ATPHalle
Twitter: @ATPHalle

Did You Know… Officials in Halle, Germany, paid tribute to Roger Federer by naming a street in his honour in 2012. ‘Roger-Federer-Allee’ leads to the main stadium, Weststrasse.

The Fever-Tree Championships, the ATP 500 Tournament of the Year in 2018, has been staged for more than a century at The Queen’s Club in London. 

Kevin Anderson and Andy Murray will make their return to the competitive action, respectively in singles and doubles, at Queen’s. Anderson, who has been sidelined since March, will be the second seed behind Stefanos Tsitsipas. Meanwhile, five-time singles champion Murray will compete in doubles alongside Feliciano Lopez as he makes his comeback from hip surgery. The field will also feature Juan Martin del Potro, defending champion Marin Cilic, Stan Wawrinka, British No. 1 Kyle Edmund and the Canadian trio of Milos Raonic, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov.

Here’s all you need to know about The Queen’s Club tennis tournament: when is the draw, what is the schedule, where to watch, who won and more. 

Established: 1884

Tournament Dates: 17-23 June 2019

Tournament Director: Stephen Farrow

Draw Ceremony: Saturday, 15 June

Are You In? Subscribe To Get Tournament Updates In Your Inbox

Schedule (View On Official Website)
* Qualifying: Saturday and Sunday at 11:00am
* Main draw: Monday – Friday at 12:00pm, Saturday at 1:00pm. Sunday at 1:30pm
* Singles final: Sunday, 23 June
* Doubles final: Sunday, 23 June

How To Watch
Watch Live On Tennis TV 
TV Schedule

Venue: The Queen’s Club
Main Court Seating: 9,300

Prize Money: €2,081,830 (Total Financial Commitment: €2,219,150) 

Tickets On Sale: Buy Now

View Who Is Playing, Past Champions, Seeds, Points & Prize Money Breakdown

Honour Roll (Open Era)
Most Titles, Singles: Andy Murray (5)
Most Titles, Doubles: Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan (5)
Oldest Champion: Feliciano Lopez, 35, in 2017
Youngest Champion: Boris Becker, 17, in 1985
Lowest-Ranked Champion (since 1979): No. 108 Scott Draper in 1998
Most Match Wins: John McEnroe (42)

2018 Finals
Singles: [1] Marin Cilic (CRO) d [WC] Novak Djokovic (SRB) 57 76(4) 63 – saved 1 MP   Read & Watch
Doubles: [2] Henri Kontinen (FIN) / John Peers (AUS) d [4] Jamie Murray (GBR) / Bruno Soares (BRA) 64 63  Read More

Social
Hashtag: #QueensTennis
Facebook: @QueensTennis
Twitter: @QueensTennis
Instagram: @fevertreechampionships

Did You Know… Seven different players have completed The Queen’s Club-Wimbledon title double in the same year: John McEnroe (1981, ’84), Jimmy Connors (’82), Boris Becker (’85), Pete Sampras (’95, ’99), Lleyton Hewitt (2002), Rafael Nadal (2008) and Andy Murray (2013, ’16).

On Thursday afternoon, the Stuttgart crowd was treated to a ‘Dustin Brown moment’. At 5-6 in the second set of his second-round MercedesCup match against reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev, the 34-year-old Brown faced set point when he leapt across the court — seemingly freezing in the air mid-dive — to successfully reach a forehand volley, allowing himself to stay in the set. The World No. 170 quickly leapt back up, turned around and let out a massive roar to celebrate.

Few players would dare try such a shot. But that is the type of player Brown — who upset the top seed in three sets for his first tour-level win since the 2017 US Open and the fifth Top 10 victory of his career — is, and that’s why he’s earned countless fans throughout the world during his career. What people may not know is that just more than two years ago, he suffered a serious back injury.

At 2017 Montpellier, after defeating then-World No. 7 Marin Cilic, Brown had to retire after one game in his quarter-final against Benoit Paire due to back pain. Brown would later find out it was a herniated disc. He still is dealing with the subsequent nerve damage.

“It’s just something that I have to live with now and try to manage and try to get through it and work on it,” Brown told ATPTour.com. “There are a lot of players out there who have had injuries, had surgeries that they have to manage to try to keep on playing well. But it’s not an ankle that you tear and after six weeks or two months everything is fine again.”

^{Photo Credit: U.COM}
The same injury forced him to withdraw in Montpellier last year while leading a match 7-6, 5-2. Former World No. 64 Brown, who owns two triumphs against Rafael Nadal, fell as low as No. 258 in the ATP Rankings last July as he struggled to find his best form.

But that makes moments like Thursday’s victory even more special. When Zverev could not put a final Brown backhand volley back into play, the qualifier dropped his racquet and pulled his shirt over his face out of joy.  

“I guess that [moment of happiness] is everything that’s going through my mind, just ending up pulling it off. I’m just happy that I’m still in the tournament, still have chances to get more points, and that I’m playing very good tennis,” Brown said. 

That moment was close to not coming to fruition. At 5-5 in the second set, Brown had a good look at a backhand volley that, if he made it, would have allowed him to serve for the match. But the veteran hit the volley into the net. It would have been easy to let the match slip from there against last week’s Roland Garros quarter-finalist. But the German did not panic.

“At that point you’re not thinking about the past. You’re thinking about the volley or certain parts in the match, but not about things that have happened,” Brown said. “I was playing the No. 5 in the world. I won the first set, had a chance there to maybe serve for it, too. But at the end of the day, either way, it’s still a positive thing, so I just tried to stay calm and kept playing, trying to wait on another chance.”

Watch Brown’s Hot Shots Against Zverev
Brown’s MUST-SEE Dive To Save Set Point
Fall Down? No Problem For Brown

Brown continued playing aggressively and without hesitation. The German stretched down to touch his toes before match point. But otherwise, based on his play, it’d be tough to tell that Brown is dealing with a back injury, especially with his athletic, high-flying game.

“You just try and find ways to manage it. I guess it took a while to figure out and I think it’s also healing and getting better and it’s maybe not as bad as it used to be,” Brown said. “It’s just a process. I try and manage it and a lot of players have things that they have to deal with with their body. It’s just part of the game.”

Brown isn’t getting too far ahead of himself after defeating Zverev. He knows a tough challenge is ahead in #NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. The 18-year-old has reached two ATP Tour finals and is pursuing his first tour-level title this week.

“It goes round by round. If I go on the court tomorrow, whoever I play, no one cares. It doesn’t make a difference if I have won against Alex. Even if I’ve won four matches, you still need to go out there and do your job that day,” Brown said. “Obviously I’ll just try to get my body ready and try to concentrate and play a good match tomorrow.”

It has not been the easiest two years for Brown, both physically and on the court. But the 34-year-old knows that on his day, especially on grass, there is no reason he can’t compete against the best players in the world. And regardless of his current ATP Ranking, Brown is focused on improving.

“You try to keep working,” Brown said. “Things get better.”

The challenge system rewarded Nicolas Jarry a lifeline, and the Chilean took full advantage to earn one of the biggest wins of his career against No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Libema Open on Thursday.

Serving at 3-3, 30/40 in the third set, Jarry appeared to have double faulted. He challenged the call, but he had little hope. He and Tsitsipas both walked to their chairs for the changeover.

The call, however, was overturned, and Jarry held, putting the pressure back on Tsitsipas. Greece’s #NextGenATP star, who hadn’t faced a break point since the first set, struggled with heavy winds while serving at 4-5 and double faulted twice in his final service game to give Jarry a break point, which the Chilean converted behind an aggressive return, advancing 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

“It’s a very, very good win. I’m very happy for the way that I played Stefanos, one of the best players right now. He’s so young and he’s doing great this year,” Jarry said.

The 6’6” right-hander improved to 4-3 against Top 10 players and is picking up on the grass in ‘s-Hertogenbosch where he left off on the clay. Jarry made his second ATP Tour final last month at the Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open, falling to Alexander Zverev after having two match points in the final. At Roland Garros, Jarry fell in a tough first-round draw to Juan Martin del Potro.

View Jarry’s FedEx ATP Win/Loss Record

The 23-year-old Chilean will next face France’s Richard Gasquet or Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan. Their match was suspended because of rain on Thursday with Gasquet leading 6-4, 1-2.

In another upset, Frenchman Adrian Mannarino beat fourth seed Fernando Verdasco of Spain 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. Mannarino will next face fifth seed David Goffin, the 2015 finalist, who hit 13 aces to beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France 6-3, 7-5 in one hour and 31 minutes. The Belgian took a 3-0 lead in the first set, then recovered from 1-3 down in the second set.

Elsewhere, seventh-seeded Chilean Cristian Garin completed a 7-5, 7-5 win over Robin Haase of The Netherlands in one hour and 45 minutes. The second-round encounter was carried over from Wednesday due to rain with Haase serving at 3-2, 40/0 in the second set. Garin has lifted two ATP Tour trophies this year at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship (d. Ruud) and at the BMW Open by FWU (d. Berrettini).