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Cilic Routs Nishikori To Win U.S. Open

Cilic Routs Nishikori To Win U.S. Open

New York (AFP) — Marin Cilic clinched his first Grand Slam title, shattering Kei Nishikori’s bid to become the first Asian man to win a major with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 victory in the U.S. Open final.

Cilic, the 14th-seeded 25-year-old, becomes the first Croatian man to win a major since Goran Ivanisevic, now his coach, at Wimbledon in 2001.

It also comes 12 months after he was forced to skip the tournament to serve out a controversial doping ban.

Cilic, playing in his 28th Grand Slam event, is the lowest-ranked champion since Pete Sampras, then 17th in the world, claimed the 2002 title in New York.

But victory was well-deserved with Cilic saving eight of nine break points, firing 17 aces and 38 winners past a weary-looking Nishikori who had defeated three top five players to make his maiden major final — Milos Raonic, Stan Wawrinka and world number one Novak Djokovic.

“There has been a lot of hard work in these last few years and especially this last year. I think my team has brought something special to me, especially Goran,” said Cilic who, like Nishikori, was making his debut in a major final.

“We’ve been working really hard but the most important thing that he has brought to me is joy in tennis and always having fun. I enjoyed my best tennis over here and played the best ever in my life.”

Cilic also told his fellow professionals that the likes of Djokovic, Roger Federer and 2013 champion Rafael Nadal, absent this year through injury, can be defeated.

“I feel that for all the other players that are working hard, I think this is a big sign that if you’re working hard things are going to pay off,” he said.

Nishikori admitted he had been outplayed.

“Marin was playing really well today, I couldn’t play my tennis. It’s a tough loss but I am happy to get to my first final,” said Nishikori. “But I will get the trophy next time — it was a fun two weeks.”

Monday’s final was the first at a major not to feature either Djokovic, Federer or Nadal since the 2005 Australian Open — so long ago that it was pre-Twitter.

It was also a battle of contrasting styles between the 5ft 10in (1.78m), 150lbs (68kg) Nishikori and the bigger, heavier 6ft 6in (1.98m), 180lbs (82kg) Cilic who had knocked out five-time champion Federer in the semi-finals.

– Cool conditions –

Under overcast skies and on the coolest day of a two-week tournament marked by punishing heat and high humidity, the championship match began inside a half-full Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Once he had saved a break point in the first game, Cilic was comfortably the dominant player breaking for 4-2 and claiming the opening set in 33 low-key minutes when Nishikori, on the defensive and pinned behind the baseline, patted a meek backhand into the net.

The big Croat’s 11 winners to the Japanese’s two illustrated the one-sided nature of the contest.

The winner of 20 of the previous 21 men’s finals in New York had claimed the first set.

However, Nishikori had dropped the opener to both Raonic and Wawrinka in the fourth round and quarter-finals but still came out on top.

Cilic, finding the tightest angles, pounced again in the third game of the second set when his opponent sliced another apologetic backhand into the net.

He backed it up for 3-1 after Nishikori was unable to convert two break points.

Four successive aces helped Cilic to 4-2 which was soon 5-2 as he clinched his third break of the final.

Nishikori briefly rallied for a first break of the match but Cilic went to set point courtesy of a misdirected overhead by the 10th seed and sealed it 6-3 with a pinpoint forehand drive which found the corner.

The 24-year-old Japanese player, who had spent more than 16 hours on court to make the final, cracked again to fall 1-3 down in the third set off a wild, wide backhand.

Cilic then saved three more break points for a 5-2 lead before Nishikori clung on with a hold.

Moments later, it was all over as Cilic went effortlessly to three match points.

He double-faulted on the first but claimed the title after one hour 54 minutes with a sweet backhand crosscourt.

AFP Photo/Stan Honda

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Williams Downs Wozniacki For Sixth U.S. Open Title

Williams Downs Wozniacki For Sixth U.S. Open Title

New York (AFP) — World number one Serena Williams won her 18th Grand Slam title at last, overpowering Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 6-3 on Sunday to capture her sixth U.S. Open crown.

The world number one, shut out in the first three majors of the year, ended a year of waiting as she joined Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on 18 majors — trailing only the 22 of Steffi Graf on the Open era list and six behind the all-time record held by Margaret Court.

Williams, who turns 33 later this month, said the goal of an 18th Grand Slam had hung over her “because I was joining Chrissy and Martina, someone I never thought me, Serena Williams, would be in that name group.

“Who am I?” said Williams, who grinned with delight as Evert and Navratilova presented her with a gold bracelet bearing an “18” charm.

“I never thought you would mention my name with such greats and legends.”

Williams lifted the trophy at Flushing Meadows for the third straight year, joining Evert as the only woman in the Open era to win three titles in a row, and matching Evert’s six U.S. Open triumphs.

She also offered words of encouragement to her beaten foe, her friend and confidant as both endured difficult months this year.

“Congratulations to Caroline, she knows the struggles I have had,” Williams said, adding to her friend: “You will win a Grand Slam title soon.”

But former world number one Wozniacki, owner of 22 WTA titles, still has that gaping hole on her resume.

The Dane was just 19 when she lost to Kim Clijsters in the 2009 U.S. Open final, and she hadn’t returned to a Grand Slam title match until Sunday.

With so much on the line for each woman, the first set was a tense affair with few fireworks.

After saving a break point in the first game with an ace, Williams made Wozniacki pay for a tight first service game, in which the Dane double faulted twice.

Williams seized the break and a 2-0 lead with a pair of stinging service returns.

“I was a little nervous going out there,” said Wozniacki, who found the noise in Arthur Ashe Stadium “overwhelming.”

“I just wanted to get a good start. I knew that against Serena, you have to have a good start, otherwise she starts going in and being even more aggressive. You know, you’re kind of done.”

Williams didn’t run off with it right away, but a run of five service breaks ended with the American holding for a 5-2 lead, heaping the pressure on Wozniacki to hold for the first time.

She did, fending off one break point to force Williams to serve it out.

With a set in hand, Williams was moving more freely. Even luck wasn’t going Wozniacki’s way, as a net cord bounce in Williams’ favor ended a 20-shot rally to give the American a break chance in the first game of the second — which she promptly converted.

– So much on the line –

Wozniacki’s vaunted defensive skills were on full display in the second set as she doggedly ran down balls, but she couldn’t match Williams’ power and ability to conjure winners from all areas of the court.

Williams finished with 29 winners to Wozniacki’s four, belting a forehand to give herself match point.

That was the first moment she felt sure of victory, Williams said.

“Other than that I was really tight and nervous the whole match,” said Williams, who didn’t drop a set in the tournament. “There was so much on the line.”

When Wozniacki’s last backhand went long, Williams dropped to her back onthe court, covering her face with her hands.

“I just felt so good,” she said.

Williams began the year boldly, with the possibility of achieving a rare calendar Grand Slam talked up by her coach Patrick Mouratoglou before the Australian Open in January.

That dream ended with a fourth-round exit at Melbourne.

An embarrassing second-round exit at Roland Garros was followed by a third-round departure at Wimbledon — where she also looked weak and disoriented in a bizarre exit from doubles.

Since then Williams had gone from strength to strength, winning two US hardcourt titles in the run-up to the Open.

Her strong showing on the hardcourts of America meant she claimed a $4 million jackpot on Sunday — $3 million for winning the title and a $1 million bonus as the winner of the U.S. Open Series points race.

“I think through this whole tournament I was really calm,” Williams said. “I practiced so hard. Not just this week, but for like six months. I think it’s now showing.”

AFP Photo/Stan Honda

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Federer Set For U.S. Open Test Against Eccentric Monfils

Federer Set For U.S. Open Test Against Eccentric Monfils

New York (AFP) — In-form Roger Federer faces a searching test of his title credentials against unpredictable Frenchman Gael Monfils in the U.S. Open quarter-finals on Thursday as he chases a sixth title at Flushing Meadows.

The Swiss 17-time major winner leads Monfils 7-2 in career meetings, including victory in their most recent clash in Cincinnati last month.

But 33-year-old Federer, who has not won a Grand Slam since Wimbledon in 2012, is aware that Monfils can be a dangerous opponent.

“It was a tough three-setter in Cincinnati,” said Federer, referring to his clash with Monfils, which he won in three sets. The Swiss world number three went on to win the tournament, his third title of 2014.

“Gael has been playing some great tennis, he’s always very entertaining. I’m sure we’ll see lots of retrieving by him and attacking by me.”

Second seed Federer reached his 10th U.S. Open quarter-final in the past 11 years with a comfortable 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 win over Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut on Tuesday.

Monfils, the 20th seed, made it to his second New York last-eight with a hard-fought 7-5, 7-6 (8/6), 7-5 success against seventh-seeded Grigor Dimitrov.

“For me tennis is a sport. It’s not a job,” said the 28-year-old when asked why he gave up a point to Dimitrov, making no effort to get ball over the net.

“Sometimes if I’m fed up, I just leave it. For me, it’s like, you know, don’t give a shit.”

That easy-going demeanor has often been used by his critics as evidence of unwillingness to put in the hard yards.

For the past 18 months or so, Monfils hasn’t even bothered with a coach.

“It’s better to have someone to help you. I need it. But that person has to be good, first of all, but has to be hard and also understand my personality. Because I don’t think I’m easy, but I think I’m quite a good worker,” said Monfils.

Federer, the oldest U.S. Open quarter-finalist at Flushing Meadows since Agassi (35) reached the final in 2005, has won all three previous Grand Slam meetings against Monfils, all at Roland Garros.

In Thursday’s other quarter-final action in the bottom half of the draw, sixth seed Tomas Berdych takes on 14th seed Marin Cilic.

Top seed Novak Djokovic on Wednesday advanced to his eighth consecutive U.S. Open semi-final, where he will play Japan’s Kei Nishikori.

AFP Photo/Peter Parks

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Djokovic, Murray Book U.S. Open Quarter-Final Showdown

Djokovic, Murray Book U.S. Open Quarter-Final Showdown

By Rebecca Bryan

New York (AFP) — Former champions Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray booked a tantalizing U.S. Open quarter-final duel with straight-sets fourth-round victories.

World number one and top seed Djokovic didn’t let Philipp Kohlschreiber stand in the way of another Grand Slam last-eight appearance on Monday, defeating the 22nd seed from Germany 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 on another oppressively muggy New York day.

Eighth-seeded Scot Murray advanced with a hard-fought 7-5, 7-5, 6-4 victory over ninth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, avenging a loss to the Frenchman in the Toronto Masters last month.

Djokovic and Murray boast a long rivalry in which the Serbian owns a 12-8 record.

They are 2-2 in Grand Slam finals, including Murray’s triumph over Djokovic in the 2012 final at Flushing Meadows for his first major crown.

“Tough match,” Murray said of the looming contest. “We’ve had a lot of long ones. We played a long one here a few years ago — I have great memories from that match.”

Djokovic reached his 22nd straight Grand Slam quarter-final, a run that stretches back to Kohlschreiber’s victory over him in the third round of the 2009 French Open.

“I’m very glad obviously that I had so many consecutive quarter-finals of Grand Slams. It says that I do value these tournaments the most and try to always perform my best tennis in them,” Djokovic said.

The Wimbledon champion looked headed for a short day’s work when he raced through the first set in 25 minutes.

But Kohlschreiber dug in, keeping his nose in front on serve and forcing Djokovic to fend off a set point in the 10th game of the second.

Djokovic did so with a stinging forehand passing shot to end a rally that sent the Louis Armstrong Stadium crowd wild, then broke Kohlschreiber for a 6-5 lead.

Serving for the set Djokovic saved another break point with an off-speed service winner and having wrapped up the second set he broke Kohlschreiber to open the third and marched home from there.

“It doesn’t feel that it went very easily,” Djokovic said. “Philipp is a tough player.”

– Tough conditions –

Murray broke Tsonga in the final game of each set en route to his victory, first recovering an early break in both the second and third.

“It was extremely tough conditions, very humid and obviously windy,” Murray said. “It started to cool down at the end, but the first two sets were very long tough sets.”

Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka, the third seed, powered past 16th-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-2.

Wawrinka fired 18 aces and 75 winners — to Robredo’s 19 — saving two set points in the third-set tiebreaker and dominating the fourth set.

“It was a really tough battle today,” said Wawrinka, who also survived a tumble into the courtside seats in Armstrong Stadium when he hit the board surrounding the court at full stretch for a shot.

“From that I’m OK, I’m more tired from the running, from the match,” he said. “When you win, it’s always more easy to feel good after.”

Two of the ATP’s rising stars will duel under the floodlights as 23-year-old Canadian Milos Raonic and 24-year-old Kei Nishikori of Japan reprise their fourth-round clash at Wimbledon — won by Raonic on his way to a first Grand Slam semi-final.

The fifth-seeded Raonic is enjoying a career-best season, and at a career-best number six in the world is the second-youngest player, behind 23-year-old Grigor Dimitrov, in the top 10.

Nishikori, the 10th seed, became the first Japanese man to break into the top 10 this season with two titles.

While Raonic has the reputation of a big-server — with the second-most aces this year on the ATP tour, Nishikori has been impressive on his serve in reaching the last 16. He’s been broken only twice, saving 17 of 19 break points he faced in his first three matches.

The winner will face Wawrinka for a semi-final place.

AFP Photo/Stan Honda

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