Marin Cilic’s U.S Open surprised the tennis world, Cilic himself, and announced to the world not only a new slam champion but the fact slams were there for whoever had it in them to step up and take them. The tennis world was pretty divided about whether or not Cilic was the man for the task pre- U.S Open, but taking into account his hard work on the court, his expert team led by 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic and the quality of his ball-striking, his win, why it may be a pleasant surprise was no real surprise at all.
The tennis review looks back at his journey before the event, through the tournament and how match by match Cilic’s destiny unfolded before us.
Early Career:
Marin Cilic was a name on everyone’ s tongue when it came to future slam winners when he finished at No.2 in the ITF Junior rankings in 2005, a year which saw him win the Boy’s singles title at the French Open.
It was not long before the big-hitting Croat was making waves in the Men’s singles fields in slams. Cilic made the fourth round at his fourth slam event in 2008 in Melbourne, made the quarters of the U.S Open that same year, and then the last four of the Australian Open 2009, leading Andy Murray by a set and a break.
However two of his weaknesses let him down that match-his serve was not as strong as it should have been for such a tall man, and, midmatch, his mind could wander at best, get completely lost at worst.
Those weaknesses held him back for years as he failed to make another slam last eight until the 2012 US Open. Once again he made the last eight, and this time he led Murray again by a set and a break. Once again, he lost. It seemed he was stuck.
But while at least things were looking up. However, it was not long before Cilic was in strife, and a drug test taken in Monte Carlo revealed he had used a banned substance and after withdrawing from Wimbledon 2013, Cilic was suspended from the tour for what would be four very crucial months for the Croat’s career.
Pre-tournament:
Marin Cilic was not really registering on the radar at all pre-U.S Open. Too highly seeded to be a dark horse (14), and a two time quarterfinalist at the event. the Croat, who blew a set and a 5-1 lead to Murray in the 2012 last eight, was considered not mentally strong enough to win a slam. And, if anyone was going to win outside of the ‘big four’ it was fancied to be Raonic, Dimitrov or Nishikori.
But, in hindsight, there was plenty to suggest Cilic was a strong contender. The Croat had been retooling his game in his four month absence from the tour due to a ban for substance abuse. When he came back at the end of 2013, he did so with a new coach, Goran Ivanisevic, a bigger serve that did his 6’6 frame justice, and a huge forehand.
Goran had, Cilic said after his US Open win, brought him away from over-thinking tactics and towards just playing his game- the serve, movement and the big forehand the key components. Cilic also not only all the advantages height brings such as great reach and an imposing figure but he also moves extremely well for a man of his height, and he can get into position to bang that forehand deep and heavy and out of his opponent’s reach. That play was seen this season in Delray beach and Zagreb, which the Croat won, and at Rotterdam, where he beat Murray for the first time and ended up as runner-up. He also pushed Djokovic in Miami, Roland Garros and then took him to five sets at Wimbledon in the last eight. Then, in the U.S Open Series, he pushed the in-form Federer to three sets in Cincinnati.
Nothing groundbreaking, sure, but his pre-U.S form, and his improved game, certainly meant he should have been talked about more than he was. But that’s a whole different article.
Round 1: d. Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 3-1 ret.
Cilic led the 2007 Australian Open runner-up 4-1 in their head to head, and would most likely have got through this match, but Baghdatis is one of tennis’ biggest talents and could have delayed his progress by quite a few hours. The Cypriot though was injured and had to withdraw, allowing Cilic a smooth entrance into round two.
Round 2: d. Illya Marchenko 7-6(2), 6-2, 6-4.
Ranked outside the top 100, Marchenko was never going to be a threat to Cilic in the form he was in. But once upon a time, he could have proved to be a banana skin, especially considering the good draw Cilic had. The Cilic of old may have over-thought and over-hit himself out of this match, but this year Cilic has been doing a very professional job of winning the matches he is supposed to win, and competing to the best of his abilities in the ones he is not. This was one he was supposed to win, a routine second round win. No thrills, no spills and enough energy saved for the third round.
Round 3: d. Kevin Anderson 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Cilic led Anderson 4-1 but they had had a tough three setter in the Delray Beach final. Cilic was troubled by the giant South African, dropping serve four times, but his own return game enabled him to break 6 times and make the difference.
Round 4. d Gilles Simon 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
The first four sets of this clash were played in hot, humid conditions. Cilic got hot and bothered, too. But in the fifth set, as the weather cooled, Cilic’s game cleared up a lot, and he started his string of ten consecutive sets as he took the fifth set.
Quarter-finals: d. Tomas Berdych 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4).
Berdych was the perfect seed for Cilic to draw in this late stage of a slam. The Croat had beaten the Czech in the third round of Wimbledon. That day he won in straights and he did the same in New York.
Semi-finals: d. Roger Federer 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Federer was the favorite of many at the event, and after the loss of Djokovic, many believed all Federer would have to do would be to make the final to claim his record making 18th slam. But Cilic was coming off two big confidence boosting wins, while Federer had spent a lot of energy defeating Monfils from 0-2 sets down.
Cilic played the match of his life. You can see it in Federer’s smile as they shake hands at the net. Whoever was going to beat Federer at the event would have to play their very best, and Federer knew he had met the best of Cilic. That smile said the Swiss great knew he had met his match, and was somewhat pleased it had taken someone’s best to beat him.
Finals: d. Kei Nishikori. 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Cilic had one more big performance in him. In fact, from the way he played, he might have had many more. Fresh, hungry and in the zone, Cilic swept past Nishikori, winning his eighth, ninth and tenth consecutive sets at the Open as he surprised the tennis world, and himself a little bit, too, by performing to the potential so many believed he had when he first started going deep in slams six seasons ago.
Cilic said afterwards he hoped the win would signal to other players they could win slams, too. If they work as hard as he has, dig deep and defeat their demons, and approach tennis with the joy and positivism Cilic displayed in his journey to the title, then he could be joined by the legion of talented professionals of the ATP Tour who might take us tennis fans along with them on a journey to the sport’s greatest prizes.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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