Marin Cilic has truly remarkable US Open record

Marin Cilic has truly remarkable US Open record

Marin Cilic winning the 2014 US Open ranks as the biggest surprise victory at a Grand Slam in the last decade. Delve deeper into the statistics however and perhaps the Croatian storming the victory at Flushing Meadows last September was on the cards after all.

This is a player who had never won a title on the ATP Tour at any other tier than the more minor 250 events. The only finals he had made at more prestigious tournaments were three ATP Tour 500 events scattered throughout his career.

Nevertheless, the 26 year old went all the way in New York and holds one of the best records at the US Open out of all the active players on tour. A closer inspection of his time at the last major of the year makes for some incredible reading.

2008 – Third Round

The journey begins with a 19 year old Cilic, who appeared in the main draw of the US Open for the first time, having already made two appearances at each of the other majors. He was 30th seed and fought past Julien Benneteau in five sets in the opening round, which would be the beginning of a fairytale relationship with the courts in New York.

This was followed up with a four sets win against home favourite Robbi Ginepri, before falling to Novak Djokovic in the third round. The Serb, who was 3rd seed in 2008, would go on to make the semi finals that year and go on to establish himself as one of the greatest hard court players of all time

Cilic took the first set and pushed Djokovic all the way in the sets that he lost. It was his first adventure at the US Open, stopped by one of the Big Four, which is a theme that has emerged down the years for the Croatian.

2009 – Quarter Final

Cilic came in as 16th seed, one of the hottest properties on the tennis tour in terms of rising stars. He negotiated a first round meeting with American wildcard Ryan Sweeting in straight sets, backing this up with another win in the second round against another American wildcard, Jesse Levine, also in straight sets

The nature of the victories were impressive for such a young player. Playing at the US Open, especially against an American, comes with a unique set of pressures. His fine form continued in the third round, defeating Denis Istomin in comfortable straight sets

One performance that almost slipped under the radar was in the fourth round in 2009. Cilic faced Andy Murray, a finalist the year before and desperate for a maiden Grand Slam title. It was Cilic who was the dominant force, crushing the Brit 7-5 6-2 6-2.

The win, arguably the biggest of his career, was quickly forgotten mainly due to the heroics of his quarter final conqueror Juan Martin del Potro. Whilst, Cilic won the first set, del Potro was in inspired form. As was becoming more frequent, Cilic fell to an opponent at the very top of his game.

Del Potro was the eventual champion, beating Rafael Nadal 6-2 6-2 6-2 in the semi finals and Roger Federer in the final. It is a measure of how strong Cilic has been at the US Open that he was a stranger to shock defeats even early in his fledgling career.

Big Four US Open Records

Roger Federer – 72/10 – 87.8%

Novak Djokovic – 50/9 – 84.75%

Rafael Nadal – 41/8 – 83.7%

Andy Murray – 37/9 – 80.4%

2010 – Second Round

2010 was not the best year for Cilic, but once again highlights the fact that he has always been beaten by a top drawer performance at Flushing Meadows. He did beat Illya Marchenko in the first round easily, winning in straight sets, as was expected as the 11th seed.

He would then meet Kei Nishikori, then a qualifier, in the second round. This would represent the beginning of a tremendous rivalry the two men have created at the US Open. This first meeting would go the way of Nishikori, albeit in five sets.

2011 – Third Round

Cilic dropped down to 27th seed, a representation of his lack of consistency on tour. In the first round he met yet another American wildcard in Ryan Harrison. Once again the Croatian showcased his focus and talents, easing through in straight sets.

In the second round he crushed Bernard Tomic in straight sets before moving to the third round where he lost to 3rd seed Roger Federer. The Swiss legend had a decorated history in New York and was an unfortunate draw for Cilic to meet so early.

Federer eventually made the semi finals which showed the kind of tennis he was playing. Nonetheless, Cilic won the second set in their third round encounter and continued to show a huge amount of promise at the US Open, when for the rest of the year he never really troubled the status quo.

Selected Other US Open Records

Marin Cilic – 20/5 – 80.0%

Andy Roddick – 43/12 – 78.2%

Juan Martin del Potro – 20/6 – 76.9%

2012 – Quarter Final

Another quarter final appearance beckoned for Cilic, who benefitted from being back as 12th seed. The early rounds were more of a fight than usual however, as Marinko Matosevic in round one took five sets and Cilic was two sets down.

Qualifier Daniel Brands in round two also demanded five sets, followed by 17th seed Kei Nishikori round three. Cilic turned the tables this time around, winning in four sets in a victory that would take on a lot more significance in two years time.

Martin Klizan was a generous round four opponent and Cilic dealt well with being the favourite, winning in straight sets. Then came a huge opportunity, facing Andy Murray in the quarter finals. The 3rd seed struggled to deal with Cilic in New York in the past.

Cilic won first set and was up in the second, looking well placed for another big victory. However, he folded mentally, a problem that has plagued him at time during his career. Murray turned the match on it’s head and went on to win the entire event.

2013 – Withdrew

2013 does not register on the record for Cilic when it comes to the US Open. He withdrew due to accusations of failed a drugs test in Munich early in the year. This resulted in a ban from the sport, although not many people will have predicted the effect it would have on his career.

2014 – Winner

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