With Roger Federer in top form and Murray returning to form, last year’s Wimbledon finalist, Marin Cilic, is slipping under the radar nicely.
Marin Cilic’s Strength of Character in Tie-breaks Sees Him Through
Cilic saw off the persistent, yet inconsistent Nick Krygios in two tie-breakers in the ATP London semifinals. Whilst his on-court movement is still only around 70% of its full potential, Cilic is building form nicely for Wimbledon.
Djokovic Awaits in Final
Cilic hold a 4-0 record for the year on grass. All the talk recently has been off the Nadal/Federer domination in Grand Slams. But could Marin Cilic be the man to break it? An ATP title first would be most welcome. The Croatian crusher awaits Djokovic in the final. The head-to-head is 14-1 in the Serbian’s favour. This will be a good measure of where Cilic’s grass game is truly at. He needs to eat into head-to-heads like this to be counted as a serious Wimbledon candidate.
A Good Week at the Office for Cilic
Although flying below the radar in London, Marin Cilic has put together some strong performances. His serving was at its most potent in the 2nd round against Muller. 19 aces helped him cover up the fact that he is still adjusting to the surface. This ace count is by far his highest and in his first round struggle against Verdasco, he merely clocked up 7 aces.
11 Aces against Krygios is something he will definitely need and want to improve upon in the final and throughout the grass court season.
Querrey Victory is Cilic’s Best Result This Week
It was a consistent performance against Krygios, but you would expect Cilic to come through a match like that. His most striking performance came in the last round against Sam Querrey, who is a dangerous opponent on grass. Murray (2017) and Djokovic (2016) have both fallen victim to the American at Wimbledon. Cilic would have been mindful of this and in his 7-6, 6-2, victory he never let the American settle.
A Successful Grass Season in the Pipeline
For his season debut on grass, it’s been a good showing from Cilic. He needs to get better in terms of serving accuracy and court movement. That said, there is every sign that he will do so.
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