	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 19, 2016

Marin Cilic

Cincinnati, Ohio

M. CILIC/B. Coric

6-2, (ret.)

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You played some excellent tennis here the last couple days. I feel that really resembles your run at the 2014 US Open. Are feeling you're in that form right now?
MARIN CILIC: I would say that for example yesterday's match, like first set and a half that I played maybe the best ever. I was hitting the ball really, really well and serving well, and just overall I was just, you know, putting all the pieces of the game really in good position. I was very aggressive.

Even today on the court I felt great. It's tougher obviously to control the ball during the day. It flies much more. When it's hot and humid conditions the ball is bouncing so ball tends to fly over here.

Otherwise I felt really, really good on the court this week. Obviously it shows on the scoreboards.

Q. Last set against Berdych he only won one point on your serve, and today Coric only won three. Taking care of business on the serve.
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, serving really well this week and found the rhythm there with my first serve. Second serve is always also good. Has a good bounce, so it helps me to defend it really well.

From the game, I was just feeling very smooth and moving to the ball well, defending also pretty good. Returned well.

I think overall looking from all aspects of the game I'm feeling just great on the court and enjoying my time.

Q. What have you tried to improve since the 2014 run, and how successful are you at improving on those aspects?
MARIN CILIC: Well, different things obviously in last -- let's say from the middle of 2015 until now. First part of 2015 I missed because of injury.

I was sort of a little bit up and down with the game sort of trying to find that kind of a balance that I had at the US Open and that I had that second part of 2014 what I played sort of really, really good tennis, the tennis that I need to play.

Since then, sort of I was on and off with that kind of style, so I feel just now, last two, three months, that I found myself in really good position feeling good on the court. I had couple good results in Wimbledon, and then this last period of pretty much okay as well.

Just transforming on the court the sensation that I have.

Q. You talked about the decision to bring on Bjorkman to your team.
MARIN CILIC: Yeah.

Q. How was that made?
MARIN CILIC: Well, I spoke with Jonas, and he was really, really excited to work with me. Even the idea in the background of it was for me to try to find somebody who could help me with my transition from the baseline to the net.

I felt that he might be really the person that could help me the most with that, as he was great in singles and also great in doubles and obviously knows the game really well.

He's been working with Andy as well, so that's obviously another part that is a big plus. You know, just feeling this could work greatly. Even in these last week, ten days we been this touch all the time. I can feel that things are moving already very, very quick.

Q. Talk about tomorrow a little bit. You just played him, right, in the Olympics?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah.

Q. What do you expect?
MARIN CILIC: Over there was ultra slow court, so it's going to be obviously very different here. It's a semis and the court here is really fast. Grigor, when he's on his shots, he can produce great, great tennis.

Obviously with his attacking style of game he's always trying to mix up with his backhand slice and even coming to the net sometimes. Sort of his game is pretty much athletic.

So I just have to keep myself in my own game, try to serve well as I was serving these last few matches here, and overall I felt that I was hitting ball well.

Just I have to keep pushing myself to do those things well.

Q. I thought you played very well against Federer in Wimbledon. You had chances to win that and maybe go to the final. I think you're seeded 12 here.
MARIN CILIC: Yeah.

Q. Do you feel that you could beat anybody right now and maybe should be a Top-5, top-10 player in terms of your level?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, well, that was the thing also, that I've been a little bit up and down with the form in last 18 months.

But when I feel that I'm playing great, I know that I'm going to always have a shot against top guys. Even somehow in the Grand Slams I'm playing always bit better than on Masters Series events.

Here is the first time I made it to the semifinals ever on a Masters Series, Masters 1000 tournament, so it's obviously big step forward for me.

With the game, you know, I was close there with Federer and I played great at Wimbledon. Had three match points there; didn't convert on those.

But I was feeling that when I'm playing well and playing the right way, that definitely the game is always going to give me a chance and that I might -- you know, always going to have good results with that.

Q. How did your life change after you won the US Open both for and you for you living back home?
MARIN CILIC: Well, it didn't change too much obviously. I mean, just that the atmosphere around me is much more present. Obviously people recognize me much more and they're more into tennis.

You know, it's already two years since then, so things are calmed down a bit. You know, just want to also bring up a little bit my results to get some good results back on the track, and obviously playing in Grand Slams closer to the end the tournament would help to raise that sensation again.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297