Borna Coric joined other Croatian fans around the world in celebrating their team’s qualification to the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Croatian tennis player took to Instagram to share a historic photo in which their proud goalkeeper, Dominik Livakovic became the hero for Croatia who performed better than Japan.
After regulation time and extra time ended in a 1-1 draw, Livakovic stood his ground to lead his team to a 3-1 penalty shoot-out win. The 2022 Cincinnati Open champion also praised the goalkeeper for saving three penalties, by posting a photo of the goalkeeper on his Instagram story with the caption, “But this man!!!”
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The world number 26 also shared a video of the Croatian team’s aesthetic celebration after the game encouraging them to go even further.
“Nice guys!! Let’s go further,” Coric wrote via Instagram.
“Come on Croatia,” read the caption as the former world number 12 posted a photo of the players jubilant and posing for a photo with their supporters waving the Croatian national flag in the stands.
Japan, who beat European giants Spain and Germany in the group stage, looked likely to inflict another shock defeat in the last 16 after they took the lead thanks to a goal from Daizen Maeda.
Never giving up, Ziatko Dalic’s team had another chance after Ivan Perisic’s beautiful header found its way into the net in the 55th minute.
With the two teams drawing 1-1, extra time went without goals for both teams. Takumi Minamino, Kaoru Mitoma and Maya Yoshida failed to find the net against Livakoic during the penalty, so the disappointment was plain to see on the faces of the Japanese fans.
Croatia must prepare well because they will challenge Brazil in the quarterfinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Meanwhile, the Croatian also had a stellar 2022 season and he ended the season as the player with the highest winning percentage over a top 10 player.
With 80 percent efficiency, Coric excels in these statistics when faced with Novak Djokovic (76.6 percent), Rafael Nadal (72.7 percent), Holger Rune (64.3 percent), Carlos Alcaraz (64.3 percent), and Nick Kyrgios (60 percent).
After undergoing shoulder surgery last season, the Croat returned to action in 2022 at Indian Wells, but failed to go beyond the first round which was followed by an early loss during the first half of the 2022 season.
But at the Cincinnati Open, he beat Nadal in the second round and followed that up with wins over Roberto Bautista Agut and Felix Auger Aliassime in the next two rounds. It didn’t end there though, he beat Cameron Norrie in the semifinals before knocking out Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final. With the win, he became the lowest-ranked tennis player to ever win a Masters 1000 tournament.
Borna Coric beat Tsitsipas again at the Vienna Open and he is back in the top 30 after starting the Cincinnati Open as world number 152.
