AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 23, 2022

Marin Cilic

Press Conference

M. CILIC/A. Rublev

7-5, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Very well done today. What do you think worked well for you in the match? You managed to stay calm and finish in four sets.

MARIN CILIC: Yeah. Well, the match was extremely high-quality tennis. From the first point, it was big hitting from my side, from Andrey's side, as well. He's that kind of a player, if you are giving him a chance, he's going to definitely take it and it's difficult to be passive against him. You have to be really proactive and then try to do as much as you can from your part of the court.

A great part from me today was high-quality serving, and that helped me so much to be a little bit more freer on my shots, you know, on the returns. I tried to be aggressive as much as I could, especially on his service games. On his second serve, just tried to put a little bit extra pressure there, and worked really well.

It was very important to stay, you know, calm after that third set. You know, I had some chances at 3-1 up... (audio difficulties) in that game to go up 4-1 double break and was very close to winning it. Then 15, 20 minutes later I was down 6-3 in that set.

I stayed calm, played amazing fourth set, even better than the first two-and-a-half, and just was a great performance.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Your second top-10 win since about 2018. Obviously you're in great form. Wondered, what do you put that down to? Why do you think you have refound that form here in Australia?

MARIN CILIC: Just generally, as a player, I'm that kind of player where I need to build my form gradually, and everything started somewhere in the summer last year, had some good matches, good wins, and, you know, played some quite good tournaments end of the season. Was really positive for me, so building up slowly. Also start of this season was two good tournaments in Adelaide. Several really high-quality matches.

Then that just gives me quite a good belief in my own game. That's extremely important in my own vision to the game, because doesn't matter in the end who I play, if I'm playing the best I can, then, you know, it's a great opportunity for me to beat almost everybody on the tour.

You know, it's happened quite similar today where quite a lot of things I was trying to be dictating and being aggressive, a little bit more aggressive than my opponent today, Andrey. So those things, when they are built up gradually over several months, then I usually had some good tournaments.

Q. Obviously the Croatian crowd was really strong. How much does that lift you during the match?

MARIN CILIC: I enjoy it from the first round. I played two matches on Court 7. Over there it was even bigger crowd. It was probably around 100, 200 of them, and just having great atmosphere and builds up excitement, which is also quite a big part for my game if I'm there in the court, it's very positive, just lifts everything up.

I try to use that as my advantage, and it was great fun in the end to play that kind of a match with great crowd in the end in Margaret Court Arena, great conditions, amazing match, so everything was great.

Q. Felix Auger-Aliassime next. You're both big game players. What are your thoughts on the match and what are you expecting from that?

MARIN CILIC: I'm expecting absolutely another difficult challenge ahead. Felix started the season very well. They won the ATP Cup and here today I saw he played incredibly well against Evans. We know each other well. We played few times, and he's, as you said, big hitter, big serve, big forehand. On my own side as well as the net doing quite similar things.

So it's going to come down to who is going to be better at those critical points and who's gonna have whatever, better outcomes in those important points.

Just going to try to focus tomorrow, relax a bit, keep my head down and keep going.

Q. I know there is a long way to go still, but in some ways, does this remind you a few years ago getting into the second week of the Australian Open?

MARIN CILIC: Well, you know, as I just mentioned, when my game is there, I feel really confident. I feel that my game is actually there. I'm playing really good. You know, today was incredible match. I would say Andrey played really high quality tennis and I managed to take it out of his hands.

You know, for me, I have great experience in the Grand Slam level here in Australia. I played amazing in 2018. Was just a bit unlucky in 2019. I felt even in better shape than 2018 and I was a bit unlucky with my knee injury over there. Couldn't perform at my best possible performance.

Then I feel that, you know, I'm playing well, I can challenge these guys. But still, you know, I have to take it match by match and, you know, take it easy, put my head down and keep going the same way I did in these last three matches.

Q. How much satisfaction is it the old guy giving the young kid a bit of a lesson?

MARIN CILIC: Satisfaction is on a different path. Satisfaction is there because, you know, I played incredible match, and gave me such a great excitement. At the moment I'm feeling really positive about myself. You know, obviously worked a lot and went with, you know, lots of ups and downs. Then a couple of difficult seasons. And to play this well, at this kind of a tournament, it's definitely absolutely great satisfaction for me.

Q. Great performance after two seasons which were not that great you're coming back. Can I ask you, since you were in Italy for a long time with Bob Brett, and with whom we all loved, also something about the two Italians who are now in the last 16. You played both of them, Berrettini and Sinner. If you had to say which one of the two will go farther, not just in this tournament, but in the rankings, maybe in one year time, give me your prediction. Don't try to be too diplomatic.

MARIN CILIC: Wow, it's so difficult, because both of them are incredible players. Both of them had last season amazing seasons, and especially Jannik, the second part of the year was fantastic. You know, first time playing Masters 1000 Final. Matteo playing Wimbledon final.

It's difficult to pick. And they have different game. Matteo's game is big tennis. If he's in great form, he can come and, you know, come to the final of Grand Slam or to win it. I think Jannik is improving still. I think his game is still developing. I think he's got more space to develop. I think Matteo reached a part of where he's really, really solid with his game and keeping it up throughout the season. I feel Jannik is going to still improve.

Who is going to be better? Ask them. I have no idea.