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WIMBLEDON

June 27, 2016

Marin Cilic

London, England

M. CILIC/B. Baker
6‑3, 7‑5, 6‑3

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Two quarterfinals last couple years here. Started out fairly strongly today. Three sets. How confident are you going into the next round?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, I'm feeling pretty confident at the moment. I had a good week in Queen's, and last week was, you know, a week to practice some things obviously that helps just before a Grand Slam to settle up a little bit more and to, you know, have this time without a tournament to be able to work on some things that could improve my game.
Obviously I always feel pretty comfortable on grass. You know, in Wimbledon last few years it was best results for me during the career and just, you know, gives me big confidence to, you know, to know that I have the ability to go that far.
But still I have to deliver it on the court. You know, today was definitely a bit uncomfortable match for me. I lost first round in Paris, so I had a little bit of that in back of my mind. So, you know, it was not one of the best performances, but I was keeping it very solid. I felt that I was serving really good when I needed to. All in all, I think it was pretty good.

Q. Quick exit in the French Open. Obviously you're more comfortable with grass?
MARIN CILIC: I wouldn't say that, you know, I don't like clay. I was feeling really good in French. You know, I didn't play too many tournaments before that. I had a long week in Geneva before coming to French Open, and, you know, without basically any practice in Paris. I was out there on the court and, you know, first‑round exit.
It was a little bit definitely disappointing, but I didn't feel that I was playing bad. It was just one of those days when things don't work out, and, you know, I took that as something to push me a little bit more forward and to be more, you know, attentive in these kind of matches.

Q. Were you pushed a little harder than you thought you might be, bearing in mind that he was a one‑man horror story of injuries over the years?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, for sure. I know Brian and I have seen him play before. Obviously he had a tough career and with injuries and things like that, but he knows how to play and, you know, can play well. Hits the ball really, really nicely.
You know, I was expecting that he might, you know, deliver good tennis. I was prepared for that, and I was mentioning I don't want to, you know, put myself too much in advance, you know, like in Paris what happened. I was really steady today and on the ground to try and take care of things.

Q. Opponents sometimes feel inclined to take it a little easier on someone who has had such a rotten time coming back from injuries. 595 in the world.
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, well, I mean, it can happen like that definitely in some matches. But that's obviously a dangerous part where you're putting yourself in a position where you won't be able to control some things. In the matches like this on grass, things can go quickly. If you lose a serve, you know, a set can be done very, very quickly.
So you have to be really, really careful. You know, pay attention from the first point until the last to try to be as much as you can very focused on your game.

Q. Given your firsthand knowledge of what it takes to win a major, what are your observations of Novak as he has won four in a row and is halfway to the calendar year slam?
MARIN CILIC: Not much to say to it. But definitely amazing achievement, for sure, considering the time that he's peaking, you know, that he has peaked during his career and to being in first part of his career a little bit behind Roger and Rafa and not winning too many majors. Obviously he was there, but I don't think, you know, anybody was expecting him to be doing so well as he's doing now, especially that he's, you know, making these last two, three years probably the best years of, you know, his life, definitely comparing himself with Roger when he was at the peak, when he wasn't losing many matches during the season. So that's something amazing that he's doing.

Q. How do you think he's done it?
MARIN CILIC: Well, you know, 2011 season definitely give him a big opening when he was on that long streak of winning without losing until French Open semis. Since that year he's playing much, much better. Obviously you can see in his attitude on the court that he's very steady, very calm, controls most of the matches. I think what he improved in last couple years, you know, when the matches are about there to break or when he's in a situation when he's up with the score and the guys, you know, are not sure if they're going to be able to dig it out or not, he's always making that extra step and pushing himself forward. He's not giving you a chance to come back. I think in that area he made the biggest progress.

Q. I don't know whether you believe in omens. In the second set, a very tight second set, you were 5‑4 down and you changed your shirt and broke him twice in succession, won the second set and took control of the whole match really.
MARIN CILIC: Well, I didn't think about that. (Smiling.) It's a good thing.

Q. Better keep changing your shirts?
MARIN CILIC: Probably after each changeover. (Smiling.)

Q. From shirts to towels, what makes the Wimbledon towel so precious to the competitors when they see it and take some home and have value for it?
MARIN CILIC: For me does not, you know ‑‑well, obviously it has a big value, but I don't, you know, consider it something more different than the other slams. I am giving most of mine to, you know, people around me.

Q. What does it mean to them, do you think?
MARIN CILIC: Well, it's obviously a very nice souvenir. And, you know, to have it and to ‑‑it's a great thing to have as to remember the Wimbledon from that year.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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