TENNIS US OPEN – 4th of September 2014. M. Cilic d. T. Berdych 6-2, 6-4, 7-6. An interview with Marin Cilic
Q. Nice win. Semifinals of the US Open. First time. Just talk about what you’re feeling right now.
MARIN CILIC: Thank you. Yeah, it was a great performance today, I would say. Was very tricky with the conditions. Very gusty. I mean, for both of us. We are big guys. Not easy to deal with the wind and with, I mean, the ball moving in the air. I felt that I was using the wind a bit better today. Just considering the conditions and the opening of the match went in my side, that sort of relaxed me a bit more. I felt that I’m in a good driving seat and that Tomas was all the time catching me and I was serving good in the right moments. So, yeah, it feels great to be in the semis first time after three tries in quarterfinals. Lost both times to eventual winners. Just feels great to be here.
Q. Where were you during the US Open last year? What were you thinking during that time?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, I was back in Croatia and I was training. I was preparing for a time when I’m going to play. Definitely, I mean, it was a difficult period. I didn’t know when I’m going to start back. But was also good period for me. I matured a bit more and I was working day after day. I wasn’t, you know, relaxing and doing nothing. So I think that helped me to improve physically. Also, it helped me to have, you know, enough time to put some new parts in my game, which are helping me to play this good now.
Q. Did you ever envision during that time that you would be in the semifinals as quickly as you are?
MARIN CILIC: I was feeling already at that time that I was improving. I improved a lot. But when you come to the tournaments, when you start the season, it’s completely different atmosphere. It’s completely different things than when you’re playing on the practice court. I felt that I needed just a couple of months to adjust with the game. Even though I had great success beginning of the year, I felt that I started to play really well somewhere from French Open. Since then I think the things are in good place for me and moving really, really good with everything.
Q. What happened to you last year, have you used that as motivation? Or have you just put it behind you and moved on?
MARIN CILIC: In that period, I have used it, I mean, to work hard, to do everything what I can. Of course was a huge motivation for me when I came back. I felt that I was more happy. Like if I would compare it with the times before, I was more enjoying much more in the tennis court and still working hard for it. I was, I felt, more tougher with myself in preparations and during the matches just clearer with my goals.
Q. So you had this really tough thing happen to you. You were a popular, successful pro. When you were sidelined, what was your thinking? Did you have a lot of anger? Did you just accept it? How did you mature?
MARIN CILIC: Well, I mean, it angered me how all the process went because it was not fair to me. It wouldn’t be fair to any tennis player. So that was just very bad memories. But, you know, when you’re against big organizations you are small hand. You can’t do much. So I just accepted it. When I came back to tennis court I erased it from my memory. I just used the positive parts, which, you know, made me tougher. I felt that I was more, you know, directed to the goals I want and just with a great atmosphere in my team. I feel it helped me to gain much more in all different areas.
Q. Have you spoken to Viktor, and do you think there is a drug problem in our sport?
MARIN CILIC: I mean, I have spoke with Viktor in April. I have seen him, but I haven’t seen him since he started to play. He was in Europe. I mean, he also had extremely difficult period. I mean, he wasn’t positive on a test and got suspended for a year. That’s, I mean, difficult to understand. But, I mean, I don’t think there is drugs in our sport. I feel that it’s pretty safe.
Q. Going back to your previous answer, you said the process was unfair. Could you explain in what way it was unfair or how you weren’t treated properly?
MARIN CILIC: Well, I mean, first, a notification letter what they have sent me they sent me that I was positive to a substance which I wasn’t. That proved to be one of the main things that were talked about in the hearing and that, you know, I was released basically. On the day of the decision it was already four months past, so it was basically like they were giving me zero. That was difficult to understand, why it happened like that and why. I haven’t gotten any explanation for that. I mean, for me there was nothing much I could do because they played with the rules and they used it for their advantage.
Q. Other players don’t like you to compare, but do you think you’re playing the best tennis of your career right now? If yes, what are the things you have been improving since last year?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, I feel I’m playing probably the best tennis of my career. I think what helped me also was the consistent play over last five, six months. This year I haven’t lost too many matches against guys who are lower ranked than me. That’s always very positive. So overall in the game, I think what I was also mentioning also before, I feel I’m, you know, playing well but I’m not, you know, getting satisfied too easy. I’m happy, but I still want to do well. I feel that it’s still a lot to improve even in some matches. I, you know, want to keep going and even, Okay, now I made it to the semis and it’s completely different for me now atmosphere than what I have been in 2010. At that time was maybe a little bit, let’s say, too shocked for me and I didn’t know how to deal with it afterwards. But now I’m, you know, cool and it’s going well.
Q. As a kid, if you can remember what age, when did you first know about Goran? When was he first sort of on your radar? What’s it been like working with him?
MARIN CILIC: I mean, probably the only matches I watched on TV was Goran’s Wimbledon matches. That’s the only memory, you know, from tennis at very young age. And then later I started to play with him when I was 14 few times. He was out due to his shoulder injury. He played with me and one other kid from Croatia my age, and that was, for me, huge at age of 14 to play with my idol. Was amazing. Then I think he helped me a lot with pointing me in a good direction with my coach, long-time coach, Bob Brett. I think that was a very crucial part of my career.
Q. As a coach now these days, what’s it like? Is he a very boring guy, or…
MARIN CILIC: Not really. (Laughter.) You know Goran, so Goran is everything but not boring. Yeah, I feel that it’s very entertaining. We work a lot, but we still — I mean, even some days we are preparing, you know, we would have sessions of three, three-and-a-half hours or whatever, and we always have good time. I think that’s most important. It’s, I would say, can’t be better.
