Tennis

Coric saves 5 match points to win 1st tour title

Published Apr. 16, 2017 3:54 p.m. ET

MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) Borna Coric of Croatia claimed his first tour title on Sunday after saving five match points to defeat German veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-5 in the Grand Prix Hassan II final.

Coric, who was runner-up at the clay-court tournament last year, withstood 13 aces from the third-seeded Kohlschreiber and saved six of the nine break points he faced. The hard-fought contest lasted 2 hours, 38 minutes - the longest final this year according to the ATP.

Coric, who rallied from a break down in the second and third sets, saved the match points while serving to stay alive at 6-5 in the second set.

The 33-year-old Kohlschreiber was playing in his first final this season and chasing an eighth career title.

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