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Borna Coric (ATP No. 14, UTR No. 11) vs. Taylor Fritz (ATP No. 41, UTR No. 60)

In the most exciting second-round matchup of the Libema Open, former Next-Gen darlings Borna Coric and Taylor Fritz will face off on a grass court for the first time in their career. Coric owns a 2-0 head-to-head record over Fritz, with a three-set win at the 2018 Indian Wells, and a dominant straight set victory at the 2016 French Open.

Fritz has the game to be a fantastic grass-court tennis player. His huge serve and piercing flat groundstrokes should be a nightmare for his opponent on the slippery surface. But given the American’s 3-10 career record on grass, it is statistically his worst surface.

TC Plus Match of the Day Preview: Borna Coric vs. Taylor Fritz

TC Plus Match of the Day Preview: Borna Coric vs. Taylor Fritz

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Coric should enter this matchup with some leftover confidence from last year. The Croatian snagged his second career title last year in Halle, defeating nine-time champion Roger Federer in the final. But before his five wins en route to the Halle title, Coric owned a Fritz-like 2-7 record on grass.

Fritz has the advantage in the serve and fire-power departments, but Coric owns the most important edge in this matchup: the return of serve. A fast grass court turns an above average serve into a great serve, and if you have a mediocre return, a grass court will only make it worse. Coric will almost certainly make more returns than Fritz, which will likely be the difference-maker in this match. Look for the 22-year-old Croatian to put enough balls in play to squeak by the talented American in three close sets.