	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

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WIMBLEDON

July 10, 2017

Marin Cilic

Wimbledon, London, England

M. CILIC/R. Bautista Agut

6-2, 6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How high is your confidence right now?
MARIN CILIC: It's quite high, considering I'm playing really well last few weeks. I have been extremely good on grass court season and also after finishing clay court season.

With all the parts of my game, really satisfied everything is working extremely good.

The level is, I would say, quite solid. It's not probably the best possible but definitely really, really solid, and considering with that, returning well, serving well. I'm moving on the court really good. So with everything, really satisfied.

Q. Where is there room for improvement still?
MARIN CILIC: There is always room for improvement no matter what you do, so I'm just obviously analyzing every match with Jonas, with my team, and we are trying to work day by day and progress for it.

Q. In what ways does having won a major help you when you get deep in majors after that?
MARIN CILIC: In preparation-wise, definitely I'm much more calmer than I used to be. I answered, you know, questions that I didn't have an answer to before I won the major.

I would say when you don't have win at a Grand Slam, you are always thinking, are you going to be ready when the time comes, you know, mentally, physically? Are you going to be able to produce your best tennis under pressure and, you know, a lot of things like that. And is your game obviously good enough to win a major?

So for me, those questions are, you know, out of the story, and for me extremely big focus is on getting my game to the great level and obviously being mentally prepared.

So that's where my focus is.

Q. You're one of the taller players to have won a major. Obviously gives you a big advantage on your serve. Are there disadvantages to being as big as you are?
MARIN CILIC: You have everywhere advantages and disadvantages. Just the way you take them and tennis is a game that is extremely complex and you can play it any way you want, so you have to obviously use your advantages well.

Q. You seem keen to minimize your time on court for this grass season. Is that a plan with Jonas? If it comes to a battle later on in the tournament, will you be ready for a big, strong battle with whoever?
MARIN CILIC: I would say it's always extremely important when you come out to play Grand Slams and big tournaments that you are always really focused, trying to play obviously all the time on a high level, you know, playing guys ahead of, I would say, tough draw getting to the fourth round, as well. You have to be completely ready for everything.

So I was extremely focused every single match to try to play as consistently as possible. Obviously this gives me an advantage, you know, if now in this part of the tournament that is left I'm getting into the stages where the matches are more demanding. I'm also much more fresh and ready for that.

Q. After what happened last year here, does it feel like kind of confirmation to get back at this same stage and change the end?
MARIN CILIC: It is definitely great to be back for a time now, and the course last year has helped me to understand few things. It's always tough when you learn some lessons through losses, but it has helped me as a player to understand and to, you know, hopefully learn from that.

Now I'm in a different situation playing, I would say, better than last year. And also having this nice confidence that I was building up, and it feels really good.

Q. You said you feel fresh. You feel more fresh now. Are you trying to rest more, train differently, do things to remain nimble as you get a little bit older?
MARIN CILIC: I was just thinking about how I went through the draw quite comfortably without dropping a set. So that was my idea.

Q. We don't know for sure who you're going to play next. I will ask you about both. First about Muller, what are your thoughts, if he's the person you're playing, what is the biggest challenge with him?
MARIN CILIC: The biggest challenge is obviously keeping the focus throughout the match. He's one of the best servers there is in tennis now, and he plays extremely good. His favorite surface is, I believe, grass. We played just now in Queen's in semis. It was a tough match. But I played there quite well.

You know, it's still a matter of getting myself focused on to the things that I am doing well and to continue to do them well.

Q. And then if it is Rafa, and he would be coming off of a big comeback against Muller, how would you describe the mentality of facing Rafa?
MARIN CILIC: In which way?

Q. For you. When you're looking across at Rafa Nadal, what is your mentality?
MARIN CILIC: My mentality is, you know, I know his abilities, I know my abilities. I know I have to play well, I have to play obviously great tennis to beat him. And he has built up his form extremely good in last several months. It was really great to see this spirit that he has that he's always challenging himself has obviously always helped him greatly, and really nice to see.

For me, there is still another challenge, a big challenge, but I believe in my own abilities and playing great tennis. You know, I'm not thinking about, you know, too much of any other things.

Q. You're clearly serving very well at the moment. What's Jonas brought to your game overall?
MARIN CILIC: He has brought different things. We are obviously working all the time in as many areas as possible to improve every single bit or just add small pieces in.

He has helped me also a little bit with the mental attitude. We worked also on my serve as also on the other shots. I feel it's getting much more consistent now, and also, you know, following up after the serve has been working so well.

So it's obviously work in progress, but it's going really, really well.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297