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ROLAND GARROS

June 5, 2017

Marin Cilic

Paris, France

M. CILIC/K. Anderson

6-3, 3-0 [Ret.]

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Bad luck for Anderson for today. You're arriving in the quarters with great shape and great freshness. Do you feel this is maybe the best you have been in a Grand Slam at some point?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, I would say so. Taking apart the US Open in '14, I'm definitely feeling the best on the court. Even at that tournament, US Open, I didn't go through the draw as comfortably as here.

With the form I'm playing, I just feel great on the court. It's such a big pleasure for me to see that I managed to continue with that good form through the tournament, as well.

Obviously played some good players. Absolutely unfortunate for Kevin today. You know, it's fourth round, second week. You know, he told me that he had felt a hamstring over in the last match.

So it was difficult for him. But still I felt I played really, really good today. Moved well on the court. It was tough conditions with wind swirling around. Overall, I think I managed quite good.

Q. How important is it to get to this stage of a Grand Slam having not used too much energy? You still have some in the tank? Or do you think you haven't been tested yet and are still wondering if you can quickly step up to the next level when you need to?
MARIN CILIC: It's a huge bonus for me, looking to the rest of the tournament, knowing that I mentally and physically I haven't spent any energy at all. Basically played every second day. Most of the matches were around an hour and a half that I played. Felt on the court extremely good.

Also looking to the part if I was tested mentally, I did that a little bit on my own, just pushing myself every single point, every single game in all these matches that I have played to keep up my good tennis. That's what I did. Obviously that's what brought me so quick to the quarters.

Q. You have had some good results on clay this year. How would you describe your relationship with the clay?
MARIN CILIC: I enjoy to play on clay. I really like it. I grew up on clay, playing half the year on clay. I would say just last year I already start to feel that I'm getting better on clay and even this year we changed a little bit the routine of the training on clay, and that helped me a lot, just feeling much, much better.

Physically, mentally, I played a lot of great matches in this clay season. I won a tournament and just felt that I was playing the best ever, most consistently in these last several weeks.

Those are great news for me.

Q. What are your thoughts on meeting Stan, who you don't have a great record against?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, absolutely. With Stan it's extremely difficult at any surface. He has won a lot of matches in a row against me in our matchups, and even last year we played in Geneva on clay. It was a tough match, too.

You know, I have to still be focused on myself still to do my own thing, as well, on the court.

Obviously Stan has been playing really good here in last few years. That's probably one of his favorite tournaments. You know, for me is to keep up my good tennis and obviously to look for the chances.

Q. How will you prepare for Stan? Will you look at how he's played? Will you consider how you have played him in previous matches and what you could have done differently? Or do you accept you are playing really well right now, it's got you to this stage and if you continue on good form, you've got a chance?
MARIN CILIC: It's a balance between those two things. Obviously you have to look at the opponent you're playing, and adjusting small details here and there in the tactical preparation.

But overall I'm feeling good on the court. I'm playing well, enjoying on the court, and that's the first part. That's the base part for me. And obviously putting those small pieces tactically into the match is obviously extremely important.

Q. Do you think the tough start of season you had could be a blessing in disguise, because you had time to rest and work on your game and maybe to be more hungry when arriving here?
MARIN CILIC: Well, didn't play so well this first part of the year, and then maybe that made me a little bit more aware that I have to get back to the basics. We spoke even in Monaco, and that's what I did, you know, just in my training, went back a little bit more to the simple stuff, especially on clay that's extremely important. Practiced really a lot before Monte-Carlo and then continued with that good form forward and that brought me, you know, good tennis, good form, and, you know, now feeling extremely good.

Q. With your game and with the serving power and forehand, are there optimum weather conditions you'd prefer for the rest of the tournament? I think tomorrow is going to rain, but then apparently after that it's going to get quite hot. Would that potentially help you?
MARIN CILIC: I really prefer the hotter conditions. That's what I, you know, like. I think that's better for my game, ball bouncing a bit higher. And also ball going through the air a bit faster.

You know, over here, the conditions for the clay are always a little bit faster than usual, so that's quite good. You can play offensive tennis. Even in these four matches I have played, I have played in some hot conditions and also a little bit slower conditions when I played Lopez, so managed, you know, in all those conditions quite good.

You know, I think I'm going to be definitely ready for anything that comes, but, you know, obviously a little bit hotter is also preferable.

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