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U.S. OPEN

September 2, 2010

Marin Cilic

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

K. NISHIKORI/M. Cilic
5-7, 7-6, 3-6, 7-6, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Could you explain what happened to your body at the end of the match in the fifth set.
MARIN CILIC: I mean, not much to explain. The conditions were really tough, and was I think very tough. Even beginning first two, three sets was tough to run and to maintain that level.
Afterwards I think both of us got really exhausted. But he was, in the end of the match and after winning that fourth set a little bit breathing mentally easier. I think that helped him.
I was, of course, struggling. I saw he was, as well. That was the case in the end of the match.

Q. Is it difficult to lose a match when you fight so hard to come up short?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, I mean, it's not easy to accept that you stayed on the court five hours and then had your chances and in the end you are down because, I mean, tennis I think it's more just physical. I would say the conditions were really tough. It was very humid. It wasn't easy to get the oxygen. That was it.

Q. Coming into this tournament, I know you didn't get good results in the US Open Series leading up, but can you talk about your condition in the late summer and how you felt coming into the tournament? Did you feel physically and mentally ready to go the distance deep into this tournament?
MARIN CILIC: Well, I would say that I was preparing pretty good and I had good week in Washington where I played semis, then had two losses in first round. I mean, I was feeling fine. I was even thinking to play New Haven, but I decided not to, because I felt pretty good on the court and I was hitting the ball pretty well. I was excited to play here. And I think I was pretty good prepared. I can't say that I wasn't. But just today was really exceptional and doesn't happen too often, conditions like this.

Q. Did you feel at some point that you may not be able to get up and go back out on the court?
MARIN CILIC: How do you mean?

Q. When he was working on you, did you feel like, This is it?
MARIN CILIC: No, I felt exhausted. But I felt I could -- I mean, I'm going to play until the end. I'm not going to retire because of those things.

Q. You played Kei two years ago in Indian Wells. Last time you won very easily. Compared to that match, did you see any progress in Kei? Did he do anything which surprised you?
MARIN CILIC: I don't know. I mean, it's tough to say. I think he probably got a little bit physically stronger and his ball is a little bit heavier.
But I can't really see some things. Both of us, I would say we didn't play the best, especially because of the conditions, and it was tough to see which areas are better and which are not.

Q. When she asked you earlier about your body at the end, what were you feeling? You mentioned oxygen. Were you having trouble getting air? Were you having cramps?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, I mean, I start to feel cramps in the end of the fourth set. But with that, I was all right toward the end of the match. It was just the general tiredness and exhaustion.

End of FastScripts

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