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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 17, 2018

Marin Cilic

Cincinnati, Ohio

M. CILIC/P. Carreno Busta

7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How are you feeling to get through today?
MARIN CILIC: Great. Feeling great. I felt that it was tough conditions to play, especially on that Stadium 3 is a little bit, what I feel a little bit different court than what I practiced on all the other courts. So it was not easy also to find the rhythm.

I played there my whole three matches and felt that it was -- all of them were tough. All three matches were tough. Big win against Khachanov in the morning, and it was tough. He was serving big, hitting big. It was not many chances. I broke him only the last game. So definitely difficult battle.

And in the afternoon I felt that I played the best match of the week and started great. Pablo came back. He was feeling the ball great, moving well, not missing much. He served for the set. I came back three set points. He had a set point. And it was a big first set, definitely. I think it decided the outcome in the end, and I'm really pleased with the win.

Q. You're playing Novak next. Thoughts on that matchup here. It's a Masters tournament you've won. It's the only one he hasn't won of a Masters tournament. What do you think that will be like?
MARIN CILIC: Well, for me, just preparation apart, I haven't played any matches on the center court. I feel and I heard that it's completely different. It's much faster.

I hope I'm going to adjust quickly on that, and I feel it's going to play better for me than playing on outside courts. Definitely Novak is playing really well. I just watched the end of this match, and the level was definitely high and he's in definitely really good form.

We played tough match in Queen's, but that's grass and definitely different. So I have to get ready and, you know, give full shot.

Q. You're one of the senior guys on the tour.
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, I'm not over 30 yet.

Q. Right. Talking to a number of players, Novak, Kevin Anderson throughout the week, there is this new perspective in life as you kind of get older, get married, different things happen in your personal life that translate into benefits of being on the court in terms of how you handle things, maybe keep things in perspective?
MARIN CILIC: You're more free. You're happy to run away (smiling).

Q. How is that for you?
MARIN CILIC: You know, I'm married but I still enjoy. Not much changed in that preparation. I feel that just over the years and in these last couple of years, with experience I gained, feeling that I'm putting a little bit more effort than what I've been doing. One part is I'm enjoying the game, and the other part is I'm willing to improve as much as I can. So I'm trying to keep that 100% level every single day.

You know, it's also part of getting to know yourself, what to do on the court, what to do off-court, and as well everybody's playing great tennis and you have to be ready for everything to compete with the best guys.

Q. Novak said earlier this week he'd like to see Grand Slams being best of three instead of best of five. How would you feel about that idea?
MARIN CILIC: I wouldn't agree with that. I think what makes it really special is playing best of five. I would change the rule not to have, you know, extension of two games, and in that fifth set I would put a tiebreak. That's all.

Over the years, we have seen so many great matches in five sets and so many epic finals, and I think if we would change it to three, I think we would all miss it. I think that's all what makes it so special.

Q. I think he and Murray both said that recently. Is that something players talk about more? Does it seem like more of a discussion now than it was earlier in your career?
MARIN CILIC: I don't know. I don't know. It may be just because the shot clock came in the guys started to talk a little bit more about changes.

In my own perspective, I feel, you know, that the scoring system is really good. I mean, definitely tennis is never predictable. You never know what's going to happen, but that's also beauty of sport. You have so many matches that go thrilling five sets, and you also see on many Grand Slams all the crowd coming in when the fifth set is coming.

So, you know, I think everyone enjoys that. And also, it's a part to see who is going to be mentally stronger. Physically, as well. You know, that's another part to tennis.

Q. Croatia has done very, very well for a small country, very successful in sports, especially in tennis. I have friends there, tennis players, who say maybe there isn't enough funding for juniors and maybe across the country.
MARIN CILIC: There isn't.

Q. How do you solve this? Do you think this new Davis Cup format might help?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, I was in favor of this new format just in terms of that, that small federations were not, I think, gaining as much as they could from the Davis Cup.

I have been playing numerous years, and many of the guys basically playing for nothing, for their own nations. And, you know, it's a pity that, you know, when you're doing really well like we did, for example, in 2016, that benefits are not coming for the federations, for the youngsters, for the improvement of tennis.

That's why I was also in favor of the changes. And hopefully it does change and help, you know, kids that don't have any opportunity or they don't have any funding, things like that, just to have a shot to go far.

Q. Have you thought about starting your own academy at some point, you know, like some other players have done?
MARIN CILIC: You know, at the moment, not. When I finish my career, I would love to be involved with tennis. I feel that I got to know tennis well, and I feel I could also be good mentor, good coach. But still, a long way to go in my career.

Q. There have been a bunch of players on Twitter who have been complaining about the change of Davis Cup. You supported it. Novak supported it. Are there a fair amount of players who are okay with this change that we're maybe not hearing from?
MARIN CILIC: I haven't talked as much with the guys. I mean, the other thing is in tennis you have so many big nations and also a lot of small nations, and it's divided. You know, even the things are not run, you know, every country the same.

I feel that ITF should have done some changes years ago just in trying to protect players a bit more, trying to also adapt a little bit more the format. Even, you know, ATP has gone so much in the prize money increase over these last several years, and Grand Slams, as well.

And I think the Davis Cup was lacking just in support for the federations. You know, that's the difficult part. I understand still, you know, the traditionalists, from Lleyton that was talking, even the French guys, you know, they are big countries, they get a lot of funding from the Grand Slams. You know, it's so difficult to compare.

Q. Not to bring up a sore subject, but how are your feet holding up?
MARIN CILIC: It's good. Yeah, it's good. Taking care of it well (smiling).

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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