Marin Čilić and Ivan Dodig beat the world’s no.1 doubles team, Mahut – Herbert 7-6, 5-7, 7-6, 6-3
What a day, and what a win for the Croatian Davis Cup team on September 17. 2016 in Zadar. Marin Čilić and Ivan Dodig gave the performance of their life to beat arguably the best double in the tennis world today in four sets.
Croatian coach, Željko Krajan decided to go all in in the Saturday’s doubles match and nominated Čilić as Dodig’s teammate. The decision was right as it can be, because Čilić was playing his top tennis, and with Dodig giving the perfect performance as well, even the French coach, Yannick Noah had to show immense respect for the Croatian performance:
“I was surprised by the level of Dodig’s play; I was not aware he could perform this well. There is nothing to be ashamed of, we lost to a better pair.”
He added some thoughts about France’s chances today: “It’s a good situation for Croatia. Not just because they are 2-1 up but mainly due to Čilić’s outstanding form. He played two great matches in two days. He is a true leader for his team and has given us an idea at what level we have to play tomorrow if we want to survive.”
“I have to give a lot of credit to Dodig and our team captain, he prepared the tactics really well,” said Čilić after the win. “Nicolas and Pierre served amazingly well today, and it was extremely tough for me to return. But we also served very well while I also felt very comfortable on the net. A few points decided the contest; it was a real thriller in both tie-breaks and fortunately we came out on top.”
Today, Marin will face Richard Gasquet in the effort to win the crucial point for Croatia. In their previous meetings, the Frenchmen has two wins, but Čilić won their last match six months ago at Indian Wells. The match is scheduled for 2 pm, and there are just a few tickets left to attend this historic match for the Croatian tennis.
