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ROLEX PARIS MASTERS

October 28, 2018

Marin Cilic

Paris, France

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You've been in the top 10 now for just under a two-year stretch; as high as No. 3, now ranked 6. Your toughest losses this year have come at the hands of Novak, Roger, Rafa, Kei. Do you see those results as positive in that you're pushing them to four or five sets, going to three sets in the best-of-three, and look at that as you've got that small margin to make the next leap?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, I look at them obviously always as positives, and I'm feeling the more times I'm putting myself in position to play against these top guys, it's an opportunity to do well. It's also opportunity to learn about my game, what I have to do better in order to progress as a player. And I felt that these matches in the past have been really good to me.

Obviously some of them were tough losses, but still, analyzing the game, analyzing what I can do better in terms of trying to get better and performing better on a consistent basis, those matches are the ones that are challenging me, always lifting me to play my best game. I feel in those kind of matches against top guys that I have to play well. I have to play to probably the top of my performance level. And that's also a challenging part to do it match after match and day after day.

I feel the top guys are doing that throughout the most of the year. They have, you know, small lapses of, you know, performance in the game itself, and then I'm trying to do the same.

Q. So in Cincinnati Roger made a comment that Rafa's probably the best teenager the tour has ever seen. Given that, and then his and Novak's and Rafa's unwillingness to yield to the younger players, do you think it's possible for the younger players at this point to achieve Slam success below, you know, age 20, 22? Because it seems like it's pushing out, needing a stronger body and a stronger mentality to break through now.
MARIN CILIC: I mean, you know, when you look at years back when sort of in the years in '90s and you just look what Sampras did in those years, winning 14 Grand Slams. And then there was not many guys or people in the world that thought that can be overachieved, and it's already done by Roger, Rafa, and Novak is I believe on 14, if I'm not mistaken, or maybe 15. I'm not sure.

So you can't say it never going to happen, and Rafa is one-of-a-kind definitely. He's been, you know, on clay winning for so many years, all those tournaments on clay and playing so consistently through the year, always with his incredible spirit to adapt, to train as well, and to get better.

You know, why not? We can maybe see some youngsters in the future that are going to be able to do that on the same level.

Q. You talked about getting that next level. What aspects of your game are you working on with Ivan at this point?
MARIN CILIC: I think one of the important parts of my game is the intensity, throughout the trainings and throughout the matches that I'm keeping that intensity high and as well challenging myself in any kind of situation to try to do a little bit better.

I'm focused obviously on a lot of parts of my game from serving, returning, hitting well from the back of the court. And where I feel when I'm returning well, when I'm serving well, that's where my game, you know, clicks together the best.

So there is quite a few things that need to click, but I feel that in order to do that, intensity has to be high. Also the motivation to do it throughout every single day and even some in difficult situations where, you know, maybe I had little bit of a downfall of the form in last couple months.

But still, I'm aware what I need to do just to keep that intensity high and always try to push a little bit better in any kind of situation.

Q. You might play Kohlschreiber first round. Can you say a few words about him.
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, I played Philipp for quite a few times in our careers and, you know, the matches have been always tough. Philipp is great player, and in my own sense, I feel with his kind of game and level that he in some cases was dropping the form here and there through the seasons. You can see looking at his results that every single year he's got some great wins, great results, but he had little bit of a difficulty to find that consistency throughout the year.

And, you know, with him, it's always challenge. I have to play great. And also here it's a fast court. First match for me. He's going to have already one match under his belt if he wins. So I'm hoping that I can play my best.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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