Marin Cilic has advanced to his third Grand Slam final and first Australian Open final with his 6-2, 7-6(4), 6-2 win over Brit Kyle Edmund. This win now gives Cilic a chance to compete for his second Grand Slam title when he faces the winner of Hyeon Chung and Roger Federer.
Edmund looked strong to start the match, coming at Cilic playing a very aggressive game. However, the Brit was unable to take his chances early in the first set and the Croatian made Edmund pay. Cilic broke the Edmund serve twice and looked very solid in the opening set, taking it 6-2.
Edmund went off court after the first set to get treatment on a suspected groin injury. The 23-year-old seemed to be struggling with his movement, but found a way to stick with the 6th seeded Cilic taking the second set to a tiebreak. Cilic used his experience and showcased his powerful serve which led him to a 7-5 victory in the breaker.
Cilic had only once lost from a 2 sets to 0 lead. This lose came against the one-and-only Roger Federer in the quarter-finals of Wimbledon in 2016. It seemed Edmund had a tough task ahead and it got tougher for the Brit as his movement appeared to become even more restricted. The big Croatian took advantage of his opponent’s injury and looked to have a strangle hold on this semi-final encounter. Cilic was able to close the match out in straight sets, finishing with some strong serving to help propel him into the final of the Australian Open.
Edmund’s run at the Australian Open has come to a close but expect to see a lot more of this talented youngster as he looks to have a breakthrough 2018 season. Cilic will now turn his attention to the final as he prepares for an encounter with the World No. 2, Federer, or the always surprising, Chung, who has won over thousands of new fans at this years Open.
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