The 35-year-old Marin Cilic conquered his twenty first ATP title in Hangzhou, incomes a notable milestone. The Croat lifted the ATP 250 trophy ranked 777th, turning into the lowest-ranked ATP champion because the formation of the ATP Tour in 1990!
Additionally, the success got here solely 4 months following Marin’s second knee surgical procedure, making it much more notable. The 24-time Main winner Novak Djokovic congratulated Cilic on his unbelievable outcome, coping with a knee difficulty himself this summer time.
The Croat loved a strong run in 2022, embracing one other season within the year-end top-20. He kicked off the 2023 season in Pune and ruined his progress, experiencing a knee damage and withdrawing. Marin missed the Australian Open and underwent surgical procedure, embracing essentially the most difficult interval of his prolonged profession.
The previous Main champion examined his knee in July at dwelling in Umag, dropping to the younger Italian Fabio Cobolli within the first spherical and ending the season.
Cilic kicked off the present season in Hong Kong, going through Jan-Lennard Struff within the first spherical and experiencing an enormous blow.
The Croat suffered a 3-6, 7-6, 7-6 loss in three hours and 6 minutes, squandering a 6-3, 5-2 benefit and blowing 9 match factors in units two and three! Struff pulled one break again within the eighth recreation and denied 5 match factors at 4-5, prolonging the battle and his probabilities.
Marin missed three extra match factors at 6-5 within the decider and one other within the tie break, dropping it 9-7 and struggling one of many worst losses of his profession. Additionally, the Croat left the ATP rating listing after 20 years! Cilic entered the Australian Open and fell to Fabian Marozsan within the first spherical, adopted by extra losses within the Davis Cup and Buenos Aires.
Marin skilled a bagel towards Laslo Djere in Argentina and took one other break from tennis, together with his knee inflicting him extra hassle. The previous Main winner underwent one other surgical procedure in Might, keen to repair the issue and compete injury-free.
Novak Djokovic congratulated Marin Cilic on his long-awaited ATP title.
Three months later, Cilic entered the Rafa Nadal Open in Manacor with a wild card, competing at Challengers for the primary time since 2012!
Former world no. 3 fell within the second spherical earlier than reaching the quarter-final in Cassis, exhibiting indicators of enchancment. Marin took an invite to the ATP 250 occasion in Hangzhou, searching for his first ATP win since January 2023! The 25-year-old notched 5, lifting the trophy and getting into historical past books.
It was Cilic’s first ATP title since St. Petersburg in 2021, celebrating it as probably the most cherished after every part he had been via. The 35-year-old misplaced the opening set of the occasion to Zachary Svajda earlier than taking cost, beating the American and dominating Yoshihito Nishioka en path to the quarter-final.
Marin needed to dig deep versus Yasutaka Uchiyama, prevailing 6-2, 6-7, 7-6 after heading off a match level and remaining on the title course. Cilic notched a top-40 win over Brandon Nakashima, reserving a spot within the title conflict towards the house star Zhizhen Zhang.
The extra skilled participant delivered a 7-6, 7-6 victory in an hour and 50 minutes, turning into the ATP champion as world no. 777 and passing over 500 rivals on the ATP rating listing!
Marin and Zhizhen denied all 4 break factors, remaining neck and neck till the top. The Croat clinched three factors extra, utilizing his expertise within the pivotal moments and lifting the twenty first ATP title. All of it got here to the tie breaks, the place the veteran dropped one level on serve and produced three mini-breaks that carried him dwelling.
Cilic confronted two break factors in the beginning of the duel, saving them after the rival’s errors and serving properly for the remainder of the encounter. These have been the one probabilities for the returners, they usually organized a tie break after Zhang’s maintain in recreation 12.
Like in these video games, the servers took cost within the first ten factors, locking the outcome at 5-5.
The Chinese language missed a forehand within the eleventh level, providing the Croat a set level.
Marin fired a forehand winner at 6-5, closing the opening set and gaining large confidence. Zhizhen felt the strain and manifested that at the start of the second set. He denied two break factors within the first recreation and held, holding his probabilities alive.
The servers dominated the remaining video games, like within the opener, introducing one other tie break. Cilic landed a forehand winner and introduced the next two factors on serve dwelling for a 3-0 lead. The Croat performed a wayward smash within the sixth level, permitting the Chinese language to tug the mini-break again and return to 3-3.
The next 5 factors noticed no probabilities for the returners, with Marin firing an ace within the eleventh level for 6-5 and a match level. He prompted Zhang’s backhand mistake, transferring excessive and celebrating his first ATP title in three years.
