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BARCLAYS DUBAI TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS MEN

February 25, 2010

Marin Cilic

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

J. MELZER/M. Cilic
7-6, 7-5

Q. You got off to such a great start there. It looked like you were going to win routinely at one stage?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, I mean, started good and felt well even though it was a little bit windy. I mean, I was hitting the ball well and serving good. Then I had that little bit of rushed game on my serve, and I lost like three, four points in a row. From there he started to play better, and he was putting more pressure on me and then also serving for the first set.
Then I came back in the tiebreak. That was I think crucial for a bit psychological way. Then I had a few chances there, I lost. Missed a few easy balls at 8-All, when I missed one forehand after my serve. That was, I think, little bit the breakthrough for him in the match.
Second set was sort of a battle coming and staying in there. Trying to get my chances, had a few of them. Also in the end of the second set when I had a sort of an easy ball after he had a let, that was a little bit disappointing. But overall I think he played solid. Well, I had my chances which I didn't convert it.

Q. Do you feel this is a good title opportunity missed having seen the way the draw has just fallen apart this week?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, little bit. But also I mean the other guys also played well. Melzer deserved it. He went through his draw pretty comfortably and came to the quarters.
Of course, it's a little bit disappointing. I think that I could go a little bit further. I had my chance to make something and to win a few more matches. It's obviously not easy to understand, but it's all right.
I had a good start of the year. Played a lot of matches, also not easy to deal with that to always push yourself to more and more.

Q. Where do you go on the other tournaments now? Dubai is over, but now the big tournaments are coming?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, I'm going to take a few days maybe. Davis Cup is coming, so little bit different psychological thinking in preparation for that. We play at home, so I'll try to prepare for that. And then Indian Wells, Miami, which are two big tournaments. And try to do better at them than last year which I didn't do too good.

Q. Melzer seemed to sort of change his approach to a bit more of a serve-and-volley game. Did you find that difficult to deal with?
MARIN CILIC: Didn't seem too much serve-and-volley. But I mean, we played in Zagreb, and he played pretty similar as today, so not much that he surprised me. Just I think in Zagreb I was converting my chances. Also today I had a lot of opportunities. Also 4-1 with two breakpoints to go 5-1. I mean, I had my chances. I think just focus-wise, I wasn't as sharp as in the other matches.

Q. Who was affected more by the wind? Was it you or him? The wind on out there? Did it bother you more than it appeared to bother him or vice versa?
MARIN CILIC: Not that much. I mean, we didn't have like too many rallies like long rallies. We had mostly points were two or three shots, so didn't, I think bother too much. Well, maybe -- no, nothing.

Q. But the conditions were not good, were they?
MARIN CILIC: It was not easy. It was quite hot today, and from one side was sun coming into my eyes when I served in the first set, and I lost my little bit of balance there. So it wasn't easy. But otherwise I played my first two matches also in similar conditions, so it was okay.

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