ZADAR, Croatia — Borna Coric pulled off a through-the-legs lob shot winner that drew bows from the crowd in the Davis Cup semifinals on Friday.
Early in the third set of a 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory over Steve Johnson, Coric ran down a lob and replied with a shot known as a “tweener” that flew over the head of his 6-foot-2 (1.88-meter) opponent and landed within inches of the baseline.
Later, sixth-ranked Marin Cilic gave Croatia a 2-0 lead over the United States with a 6-1, 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory over Davis Cup debutant Frances Tiafoe.
Carlos Ramos, the chair umpire who penalized Serena Williams in the US Open final, officiated the second match without incident.
The 21-year-old Coric, considered one of the top up-and-coming players in the game, said he had never before even come close to landing such a difficult shot.
“I normally go somehow around my back,” he said. “But I just felt that I can do it. It was not such an important point, so I just did it. Honestly, I never do it in practice as well, so I don’t know how it was that good, to be honest. It was really luck.
“I did mean it [to be a lob], but I thought I’m going to miss by a lot,” Coric added. “But I made it.”
Moments earlier, the 18th-ranked Coric had landed a delicate forehand drop-shot winner to close out a close second-set tiebreak.
“He came up with some good stuff today,” Johnson said.
The winner of the best-of-five series on an outdoor clay court along the Dalmatian coast will meet either France or Spain in the final.