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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 26, 2010

Marin Cilic

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

M. CILIC/A. Roddick
7-6, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Your first Grand Slam semifinal. How did you get there? What was the key to the game?
MARIN CILIC: Today was not easy. I was also a little bit tired from the matches before. First set got a lot of energy out of me 'cause there was I think not only physical battle but also was mental, the battle, the first set, to gain the advantage. So that was most important to win for me.
And then later I started to get into the match a little bit easier. I was feeling a little bit better. But he started to play pretty good in the beginning of the third. Was putting a lot of pressure on me.
Then I got lost a bit. It wasn't easy to come back. I was having trouble with my serve. Wasn't putting enough first serves in. I had to work for every point. It was tough 'cause he started to play much better and closer to the baseline and making me run a lot. Then it wasn't easy to accept that.
So the fifth set was I think a little bit turned around for me when I saved those three breakpoints in the first game. It was a little bit of a relief. I just was thinking to play point by point, to try to stick with him, and I hopefully get my chance, which I did.

Q. Andy said as a 21-year-old he was impressed with your composure. Is that something you've worked on or are you naturally relaxed?
MARIN CILIC: No, not really that I particularly worked on that. I'm like that naturally. And definitely it helps me to think about things that I have to do on the court, not to be upset about myself or something like that. I think one positive area in my game.

Q. Does that composure help you through?
MARIN CILIC: Yes, I would say especially today where it would be easy to let it go after losing those two sets, third and fourth that easy, and it wasn't easy to come back in the fifth. And also, of course, in the first match with Tomic where we had a pretty big battle.

Q. Do you think it will also help when you come up to a semifinal?
MARIN CILIC: I'm not sure. In this case I'm not sure yet. I think it's the biggest thing that gonna be in there for me is to try to recover as much as I can and to try to be ready that I can play on my level.
I mean, composure is nothing comparing to physical ability.

Q. What were your thoughts when you could see Andy was suffering a little bit? What was going through your mind?
MARIN CILIC: Well, when I saw he took a medical, I didn't know what was it for. I didn't know what to expect. He was that second set a little bit down with his composure also. It seemed that he was letting it go a little bit easier than in the first set. I didn't know what to expect.
Third set was a bit of a surprise for me when he started to play a little bit better. I think he went for it little bit more and gave it a shot, which was obviously working for him and not for me.

Q. In the first game of the first set, most of us would have said, It's the end of the world. What do you do?
MARIN CILIC: I just think, Oh, man, put that first serve in. I think what I have to do that moment, I tried to pick a spot, pick a combination that I'm going to play, just not think about the score, try to do the best I can on my own side and that's it.

Q. Were you surprised you got out of it?
MARIN CILIC: I was a little bit surprised because he was breaking me pretty easily in those two sets. When I got out of it, I mean, I later started to serve even better. I was mentally fresher.

Q. Do you allow yourself to think about winning the tournament yet?
MARIN CILIC: No. No, I mean, I'm still far away from that. I mean, it's tough to think about that, especially in this case where I had three matches in five sets. It won't be easy.

Q. Why are you playing such good tennis?
MARIN CILIC: 'Cause I'm a good player (smiling).

Q. Why are you a good player?
MARIN CILIC: I know how to learn. I mean, what can I say?

Q. Have you been doing any extra work over the break leading into this year or...
MARIN CILIC: Nothing in particular. I was doing my own routine. Also wasn't easy 'cause we didn't have such a big break, especially for the guys who played the Masters. But, for example, I had four weeks of preparation, which is a little bit maybe short to get ready for the whole season. And I think I did well.
Also playing in Chennai helped me a little bit because also there it's tough and humid and not easy to play. So physically I think I was ready for every match here.

Q. You say you know how to learn. Is Bob Brett a good teacher?
MARIN CILIC: Yes, he's a very good teacher. I'm with him already several years, and he knows how I breathe, how I stand on the court, what things he could give me, which advices in which moment. So he knows me pretty well.
Obviously, he's very experienced. He helped me a lot in this Grand Slam level. Without him, the achievement would be very tough to get to.

Q. Do you have the game to take it to Murray or Nadal?
MARIN CILIC: I mean, I don't know. Today was tough match mentally. Like if I would compare it with the Del Potro match, I played way better. But it's not easy when you come into these stages of tournament where you didn't get to before too many times. It's not easy psychologically to be able to bring your best tennis when you need it.
But for Murray or Nadal, I mean, definitely whoever it's gonna be, it's gonna take also a lot of energy out of me. So we'll see how I'm gonna be able to survive.

End of FastScripts

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