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FEVER-TREE CHAMPIONSHIP

June 23, 2018

Marin Cilic

London, England

M. CILIC/N. Kyrgios

7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Very solid, very impressive. He just made two mistakes in each set. You never gave him a look, really.
MARIN CILIC: Well, yeah. It was sort of as expected. From before the match, I knew that Nick is going to be serving big. He served really big in these, you know, his first three matches, especially his last two. He was serving more than 30 aces in the match, and both of those matches were in two sets.

I was expecting that it's going to end up being either, you know, a point or two or even a wrong decision that can make a big difference. I was keeping myself really focused, really composed, patient.

I felt that I was serving really good using all parts of the court really well. Even, you know, whatever was coming on my own end off the returns, I was being very focused and had to take care of those balls really well. That proved to be really good.

You know, happy with the performance, especially as constantly to serve on that big level. It's not easy, and also when you know that you are under pressure to hold your serve most of the time. That's another big plus.

I'm really pleased with the mental approach to the game and also executing it really well.

Q. I was wondering, when Nick was on my side of the court and you fired aces or a good serve, you just heard, Oh, that's too good. I was wondering, did you hear any of that?
MARIN CILIC: Some I did, but not everything. But, you know, I felt still that both of us were serving really good. I had couple of those chances on 2-All in the second set. Had the rally and just went for it. He guessed well and hit a great backhand line.

It was nothing wrong with that. But I was, you know, just keeping myself composed and, you know, waiting for the right moments.

Q. How much of that win was experience? This is your fourth time in the final here. You know that court out there pretty well.
MARIN CILIC: Yeah. Even before the tournament started, I felt that, you know, in order to get ready completely for Wimbledon you need to have also few wins, few matches, you know, to play and just feel the grass courts.

And also starting from the first round, as the draw was, you know, extremely strong, also playing Fernando in the first round was difficult, but I felt that it made me, you know, being aware that I was ready from the first point from the start, you know, I think that also helped me for today's match.

Playing also Gilles in the second round, Sam yesterday, knowing that a couple of things, if they go wrong, I can be losing a set or even a match, so that was keeping me on my toes.

As most of the matches on grass, especially against big servers, you have to be focused throughout every single moment of the match.

Q. Could be Novak in the final. Have you caught much of his action this week? Have you watched much of him? If so, how much do you think he's improved compared to the start of the year and last year?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, I watched here and there, you know, some of his matches. And, you know, he's playing well. He's starting to play better.

You can see that he's, you know, fighting hard on the court, not letting any points go by him. You can see that mentality is back and he's playing good tennis.

I think on grass especially he was returning great throughout the week, and that's one of his big weapons. You know, obviously of course depends all on him how he feels on the court, if he feels that he's at 100% physically, as well, because of the elbow, things like that, but what he's showing and what I'm seeing from the side, he's playing better and better, which is great to see.

Q. In the past, that matchup, probably most people would look at it and say they'd expect Novak to win that, but if it was to be him tomorrow, I think a lot of people would look at it and say you're the favorite. Do you think there has been a big shift on grass where you feel like you're the top dog here?
MARIN CILIC: I mean, you know, you could look at it both ways (smiling). Yes and no. Everything has two sides.

But, you know, he's been out and he's been having a little bit of difficulty to come back. It just shows that, you know, men's tennis, it's extremely strong.

And also if you just lose, you know, slightly the edge or physically you're not feeling great, it's a really tough way to climb up.

You know, for me, I'm feeling confident on the court, feeling great. You know, I had a lot of matches in this last month and a half, and I feel that my game is where it needs to be at the moment. And hopefully I can deliver again in tomorrow's match, whoever it's going to be.

Q. What do you have to do to beat either Novak or Jeremy?
MARIN CILIC: I think still to play my own game. I played great matches throughout the week, four very solid matches, and just keep going. It's great for me that I have another shot for the title, as well, and, you know, last year was great final. I lost it with having a match point.

It's great to play again for the trophy, especially knowing that the tournament was really strong with the field this year. You know, just shows that I'm in good form, and hopefully I can definitely play really good tennis tomorrow.

Q. After last year losing against Lopez, is there any extra motivation for you to go out there and win a title?
MARIN CILIC: Well, you know, the motivation is still there, you know, quite big. It's a 500 and big tournament to get ready for Wimbledon.

You know, I don't have regrets for last year, if that's what you're asking. I gave it my best on the court. My match was decided by one point. Feliciano played amazing tennis. You know, great for me again that I'm here and giving myself another shot.

Q. Playing on grass again, how are the soles of your feet?
MARIN CILIC: They're good (smiling).

Q. Why did that happen last year at Wimbledon?
MARIN CILIC: Just before the tournament in Wimbledon, I went to see the specialist for pedicure at Wimbledon, and the lady helped me a lot. You know, obviously with feet it's very, you know, sensitive. I think everything was working well for those two-and-a-half weeks (smiling).

You know, I had a little bit tougher match with Sam, you know, a lot of movement maybe, you know, just putting a bit more pressure on my foot and things like that. Just after the match, you know, I got a big blister.

So I was actually not panicking. It was, you know, Friday and couple days, two days until the final. I was really confident it was going to be okay.

But unfortunately things didn't go well. And even with, you know, couple injections to numb the pain, nothing helped. I was a little bit handicapped.

Q. Is there anything you can do to avoid that situation?
MARIN CILIC: I have no idea. Don't go to the pedicure (smiling).

Q. Nick was saying how well you're timing the ball. How well do you think you are timing the ball?
MARIN CILIC: I think really good, you know, from both sides. I felt throughout the week that I was very dangerous from both forehand and backhand, hitting really good also backhand down the lines, which is, you know, one of the toughest shots for two-handers on grass. When you're feeling it well, that's a big sign that you're playing well, so I'm confident with that. You know, it just shows on the court, as well, most of the time when I'm in offense doing that well.

Q. Do you think you're peaking just in time, then?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah (smiling). Any week is to peak well, but yeah, definitely it's great time of the year to peak high and, you know, very excited for tomorrow and coming couple weeks, three weeks.

Q. Can I just quickly ask you about Roger? He struggled in Halle this week. Given you played him last year and how he's playing now, if you meet in Wimbledon, does that give you a mental edge over him?
MARIN CILIC: Absolutely (smiling).

Q. Have you seen any of his play?
MARIN CILIC: Well, first of all, he was out since Miami. Didn't play. And then, you know, in last year he hasn't played any of the tournaments two weeks in a row, one in Stuttgart and also in Halle. The grass is, I think, I feel just watching from TV that it's a little bit faster, not easy also to play. If you lose focus couple points, it can go badly. But still he's playing quite all right.

Q. When you play a guy, such a massive server and such a low toss, tough to read. Are you picking up patterns? Making educated guesses? Seemed like you were able to get your racquet on a lot.
MARIN CILIC: Just maybe a feeling or a guessing maybe sometimes. Sometimes you wait, you hold. You know, just if he's going to hit a great serve next to the line, you know, a great serve. But sometimes you're going to go for it. It's just a matter of the feeling.

I think in some occasions Nick was serving, you know, really big and, you know, he creates the angle amazingly easy. Just opens up the court big time and not easy to cover it. But, you know, a lot of them I was, you know, barely catching them.

So that was, you know, maybe just plays on his mind that he tries to go for a little bit more, a little bit bigger, you know. He didn't hit as many aces today as yesterday, so that showed that I was returning quite all right and, you know, most of the points I felt that I had a good hit at the return and on the next shot even neutralized him so I was already even in the rally. So that was quite good.

Q. Just by chance if it might be Chardy in the final, what will be your thoughts about playing him?
MARIN CILIC: Well, I feel Chardy, you know, he's very dangerous player. Maybe throughout the career I felt that he even might do better than what he did. And he's got that big game, big serve, big forehand, moves incredibly well around the court, as well, for a big guy. Usually on grass he was playing really well. Played him also couple years ago in Wimbledon fourth round, and he was playing great tennis. So very dangerous guy, and I have to be really focused in that match, as well.

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