Seventh seed Marin Cilic is into a Grand Slam final for the first time since his 2014 US Open title. With a four-set semifinal win on Centre Court over world No. 28 Sam Querrey, Cilic has earned the privilege of playing Roger Federer in Wimbledon’s championship match.
During the tightly contested match, Cilic produced 25 aces and 70 winners to win 6-7 (6), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-5.
“Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable,” he told the BBC following the win. “Especially after the way this tournament unfolded. From the first round I was playing really great tennis.”
“Today was a really hard-fought battle. Sam I think played really high level tennis, especially in that first set. He was serving big, hitting big from the back of the court. “
Marin Čilić is into his first #Wimbledon & second major final with a 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-5 win over Sam Querrey.
— Ana Mitrić (@ana_mitric) July 14, 2017
The match, as anticipated, was a server’s duel. The first set did not feature anything even close to a break point, and therefore went to a tiebreak.
Cilic hit an unreturned serve to start the breaker. Then Querrey probably should have lost his serve on his first service point, but Cilic missed an easy backpedaling overhead. On the next point, Cilic hit a forehand winner for a 2-1 lead with a mini-break. The Croatian then held both of his serves for 4-1. Querrey managed to get the score to 3-4, but Cilic still led with the ball in hand.
Querrey then got the mini-break back on a lunging backhand crosscourt volley, tying the tiebreak at 4. Cilic afterwards missed a backhand, giving Querrey a 5-4 lead and the chance to serve out the set. But Querrey missed a forehand on the next point. 5-5.
Cilic then missed a backhand second-serve return long, giving the 29-year-old American a set point. The 2014 US Open champion held to made it 6-6.
They need to give a first serve back to Cilic after that… Seems someone passed out in the crowd
— Carole Bouchard 💜💛 (@carole_bouchard) July 14, 2017
When play resumed, Cilic missed crosscourt backhand wide, giving Querrey a 7-6 lead and a set point. Cilic then missed another crosscourt backhand, handing Querrey the opening set.
“Sam came out serving huge, hitting big and I felt that he was not tired at all. I felt that he was really into his mode and playing really well. That obviously pushed me to play big tennis towards the end of the match,” said Cilic.
In Game 1 of the second, Cilic earned the first break point of the match, but Querrey fended it off by forcing Cilic to make a bad backhand pass attempt. He went on to hold his serve.
Querrey found himself down another break point when the set was at 2-2. He gambled, going for a serve and volley, but the strategy was irrelevant because Cilic missed the backhand return. Querrey then hit a forehand winner and a backhand winner to take the game. Cilic later evened the set 3-3, holding to 15 by booming an ace up the T.
Querrey, in the next game, went down 0-40. Cilic lost the first break point by missing a backhand second-serve return, but, at 15-40, he landed a backhand pass, grabbing the first break of the match. He consolidated to love for 5-3.
One game later, Cilic, serving for the second set, held to love to take it 6-4.
Marin #Cilic is feeling better mentally and takes the 2nd set 6-4! 6-7 6-4 vs #Querrey #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/3rRWvllBbs
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) July 14, 2017
To start Set 3, Querrey went down 0-40. He saved the first two break points with unreturned serve, and he fought off the third by dropping a forehand volley winner that barely landed in play. The game went to deuce twice more, but Querrey eventually held on a smash for 1-0.
At 1-1, Querrey netted a forehand volley, setting up two break points for Cilic. Querrey won the first with an ace, but lost the second on an incorrect challenge. This put Cilic up a break.
But Querrey broke right back on a crosscourt backhand winner for 2-2.
For novelty's sake, Cilic and Querrey trade breaks. 2-all in the third. #Wimbledon
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) July 14, 2017
Five holds later, Querrey led 5-4, and Cilic was serving to stay in the third set. Cilic held to 15 on an ace. Querrey then held to love for 6-5, putting the pressure back on his opponent. Cilic held with an ace for 6-6, despite this gem from Querrey:
Querrey (🎥Eurosport) pic.twitter.com/z0mqAVS02d
— doublefault28 (@doublefault28) July 14, 2017
The first seven points of the tiebreak went according to plan, but then Querrey lost both of his serves, giving Cilic a 6-3 lead. Cilic finished the set with a forehand winner for 7-3, taking a two-sets-to-one lead.
At 1-1 in the fourth, Querrey had a break point, which he converted when Cilic missed a routine backhand into the net.
Querrey, up 2-1, missed a smash giving Cilic two break points. He saved them both to hold his serve.
With Querrey serving up 4-3, Cilic found another break point, which Querrey lost on a shanked backhand, letting Cilic tie the set 4-4 and put himself two games from the Wimbledon final. Cilic held to 30, making Querrey serve to stay in the tournament. Querrey held to 15 for 5-5.
Querrey, trailing 5-6, was again serving to stay alive. After missing a backhand, he was down 15-40 — two match points. Cilic lost the first one on a netted backhand, but he won the second on a backhand winner down the line, completing the Croat’s comeback from a set down.
The semi was a disappointment to American fans, who have not seen an American man in a Grand Slam final since Andy Roddick in 2009.
Cilic will play either Tomas Berdych or Roger Federer in the final on Sunday. Against Federer, he trailed their head to head 6-1, but ties at 6-6 with Berdych.
It’s gonna be a huge match between Roger and Tomas,” The Croat said about their semi-final clash. “Tomas is also playing really well and it will be an open match I feel. Roger is playing his best tennis of his career on this court and it definitely feels like home (for him).”
“Whoever it is going to be, I’m gonna be ready to play my tennis and focus on my game,” he added.
Sunday will be the first time a Croatian player has contested a Wimbledon final since the 2001 Wimbledon championships.
