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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 23, 2009

Marin Cilic

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

M. CILIC/D. Ferrer
7-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Your thoughts on today's match?
MARIN CILIC: I would say that it was a good performance from me. At the beginning of the match he broke me like in the second game. That I think woke me up little bit, which was good for me. I reacted very well and broke him back again and I was in the game pretty good since that moment.
First set was up and down little bit. He had some chances. I had two breakpoints, 15-40, 4-All, something like that. Then he had Love-30 on the 6-5. Tiebreak was also going strange.
But eventually I won it. He made a few unforced errors there, gave me a little easier way to win that one. Like in the second and third, I played much better. I was moving very good, not missing too many returns, which was really good for me to make him play a lot, to give myself a lot of chances from the game to win some points from inside the court, too.

Q. Are you playing as well as you did last year when you made the fourth round?
MARIN CILIC: I mean, it's tough to compare this year and last year. I would say that this year's a little bit different. I played some other players. I think I have some more room to improve little bit more my game and to hit little bit ball better, sort of those things. Serve wasn't the best today, but I got away with it, mixing it up, serving in the crucial moments very good.
But I would say in the third set I was feeling very comfortable on my service games.

Q. What about the heat today?
MARIN CILIC: No, it was a little bit tough at the beginning of the match, because we started at 12:30, quarter to 1:00, and the sun was right on the toss. From one side, both of us, I think we couldn't see really the ball after the serve. That was little bit tough to serve with almost closed eyes.

Q. A very different atmosphere from the second round.
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, it was different. It was more calm. I mean, I had some Croatian fans, but it was more easygoing, good to play.

Q. What about the next round against Del Potro?
MARIN CILIC: I mean, obviously he's playing good. Winning in Auckland, coming in in good form, good shape. Saw a few points when he played the round before. I think he's playing very well.
I think he's gonna be tough opponent to beat.

Q. Did you play with him in juniors?
MARIN CILIC: We played long time ago. I'm not sure where was that. I think like when we were 15, 16. But it was like four or five years ago or something.

Q. Did you beat him?
MARIN CILIC: No, I think he won. We played twice. He won both. But that was once under-14, once under-16.

Q. A lot of people pick him and you as two of the players who they think are going to jump up in the next year or two. Is he someone that you judge your progress against?
MARIN CILIC: Not necessarily. I mean, of course, he had a really good end of last year. This year also he started very well.
But I think I have my own way little bit different than him. He jumped there earlier than me. But I think I'm gonna -- I have things to work on always, and I'm gonna have my chances to get to the top 10 for sure.

Q. David said after the match that he could see you being top 10, even a top-5 player, sooner rather than later. Is that something you feel you have in you, or do you need to make your game a lot better before you can do that?
MARIN CILIC: I mean, I'm already like 20 in the ranking, so obviously one good tournament can push me to top 10. I think I'm in a good way with my progress and with my work. So I'll work, of course, hard as I can to get there.

Q. Do you see Del Potro as a long-term rival, maybe a decade-long rivalry between you and him?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, for sure, I think he has a good all-around game. Doesn't spend too much energy when he's playing. He has a huge serve, which helps him to win easier and comfortable with the points. So I think he's gonna be there, stick around in the future, too.

Q. Do you get a bit more of an edge because you're playing someone your own age, compared to Ferrer today?
MARIN CILIC: Not necessarily. You mean when I'm practicing?

Q. Just in the lead-up playing another young man, 20 years of age.
MARIN CILIC: No, I'm always like looking my areas of the game which to work on, not necessarily to compare myself to the other ones.

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