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U.S. OPENSeptember 3, 2012Marin CilicNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK M. CILIC/M. Klizan THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. First time back in a Grand Slam quarterfinal for a while. MARIN CILIC: Yes. Q. I guess you're happy with that. MARIN CILIC: Very, very happy and thrilled to be back in the quarters. Last two seasons since playing semis at Australian Open, I've been having lack of results at the Grand Slams. This just shows I had a really good summer, played consistently. I think what helped me the most was playing also a lot of matches. I won two titles. Just kept me pushing, going and going after that kind of a game. But I was even working in the beginning of the season. Now just happy that I'm in the quarters. I had a few tough matches. And today it seemed most easiest one by the results. Q. Has that been the big difference, just confidence of winning matches? MARIN CILIC: Yes. I mean, by winning the matches, it sort of helped me to understand that I'm in a good way and I just have to, you know, keep pushing and not have any doubts in myself or in the game when I'm playing the matches. What I had really been doing good was finding solutions during the matches and having an open mind when I was playing matches that I can also change tactics and play something different. Sometimes when you start the match, you don't know what to expect. That was working well for me these last three, four months. Q. You're one of a group of young, big, powerful guys.  Unlike them you haven't made it through to a Grand Slam final. What do you think it is that has held you back compared to some of those other guys? MARIN CILIC: Maybe just playing really consistent at that high level. Especially, looking at them, they were during the years they are playing quarters, semis, also big tournaments. I mean, I also played some good ones, but I was having this inconsistency playing at that high level. Once when I reach this high level, I always feel good and I always feel that I can play against those top guys. In the past, it was a little bit difficult for me to manage to hold that for five, six, seven months, also during one season. So working on that also. Q. A mental or physical thing? MARIN CILIC: I mean, both. Just also understanding what you need to do, how to deal with those kind of situations. When you are also playing well, that you keep going with that, just that you don't have any sort of doubts in your game, that you keep pushing, every day trying to get slowly better. Q. How tough has it been over the last couple of years, dropping back down the rankings a bit? Did you ever have doubts you'd get back? MARIN CILIC: Oh, of course. You always have doubts when you are losing matches that you don't want to lose. I mean, in a way it was tough for me, but in another way it was also a positive thing for me, as I learned from those situations. I learned I have different experience now. I was in the top 10, played great tennis, dropped, and now coming back where I feel I can be, with different understanding that I have to just, you know, focus on myself and focus on the right things and not bother about too many other ones, which in the past I was having trouble with. So, no, just having some more experience, that can help. Q. Do you feel you're a better player now than you were two years ago because of that experience? MARIN CILIC: I'd say I'm different player. I'm probably not playing the same as two years ago. Few things evolved. Couple things I'm still working on. I feel they can be also much better. But in this other way I feel I'm much better, much more experienced in all different areas, also how to deal with different situations on the court if I go behind, if I'm down with a break or two breaks even. I found some situations that I can come back. Q. He had you in some pretty difficult situations in the first and second set at 4‑2. What did you do right to bring yourself out of those situations? MARIN CILIC: Well, I mean, as I'm playing first time against him, it was also not easy from the beginning. I struggled in the return games to win some points. Then eventually in the last game, I had a good return game. He made couple unforced errors, sort of gave me that first set. That was, I mean, a great, positive thing for me. The second, I mean, I felt he was playing really well from the baseline. He had a lot of big shots, had a lot of winners from the forehand. That was not easy to deal with. Then when I managed to kind of find a way how to play, I was sticking to it. Eventually, I mean, winning 10 games in a row just shows that I played really well that last part of the match. Q. The returning troubles were mainly because of his left‑handed serve? MARIN CILIC: Yes.  Also wind was pretty strong, then it was tough to adjust on everything. Plus if I would put return back, he would hit a winner. So it was just not easy to find the perfect balance. Eventually when I found a way, it was working really well until the end. Q. Possibly Andy Murray in the next round. How do you assess that matchup? MARIN CILIC: Yeah, I mean, we played now also in Wimbledon. I think he played really well over there, had great day, great serving day. We played two days. But anyway, I mean, it would be tough match. Really interesting for me. Another big challenge. Andy's obviously playing really well. For me, it would be great to play against him also just to feel what he can do and what I can do in this moment against him. Q. Do you know him very well from playing him? MARIN CILIC: How you mean? In which way you mean? Q. You played against him for years now. Do you know him very well as a friend or just as an opponent? MARIN CILIC: No, not so much. We are all sticking with our own team, so it's not easy to make friends like that. But, I mean, from the court, I know he's one of the greatest players there is in this time, yes. Q. But you beat him here, didn't you, three years ago? MARIN CILIC: 2009, yes. Q. That would give you confidence if you played him? MARIN CILIC: Yes. Generally we had a lot of, you know, in some ways close matches. But I know he's really tough for me to play. I mean, on certain days he can serve well, defend well. All things can really go in a good direction for him. Tough sometimes to find some openings what to do. When playing well, when I feel well, I feel I can match up with anybody. Q. What went wrong at Wimbledon this year? MARIN CILIC: No, I think just that Andy had really great day and managed with some situations little bit better than I did. I was, in the beginning of the match, a break up and he came back. Until the end, I almost didn't have any breakpoints. So that was I think just a matter of serving. And grass is different, I think, where Andy plays really well. Q. You've been with your coach for a long time. What's the secret of the chemistry there? MARIN CILIC: Yes, I mean, Bob is around in tennis for 20, 30 years, and knows how things are going, which way sort of tennis is evolving. And he's been with me already five, six years. He knows me real well. I know him real well. He knows what things I need to improve, what things I need to work on. It's going step by step. I'm feeling, I mean, it's the best possible coach I could have. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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