In a fantastic match, the Croatian tennis player defeated the 7th best player in the world Andrey Rublev 3:2 in sets, and achieved his best result at the Grand Slam tournament in Paris. Čilić won 5:7, 6:3, 6:4, 3:6, 7:6 in sets after more than four hours of play.
In the first set, both tennis players kept their serve until 5:5 until Rublev took the 6:5 lead. In the next game, he finished the set at 7:5 without losing a point.
Marin entered the second set brilliantly, with an early break he took the lead at 3:0, was up 4:1, and then 5:2. At 5:3, he used the fifth set point for 6:3 and 1:1 in sets.
Čilić continued with momentum in the third set. At 2:2 he had two unused break points. But a new opportunity soon followed. At 3:3 he reached a new break and was successful. He kept the advantage until the end of the set and at 6:4 went ahead 2:1 in sets.
In the fourth set, Čilić and Rublev went to 4:3. Rublev then broke at 5:3 and won the serve for 6:3 and 2:2 in sets.
In the dramatic fifth set, there was no chance for a turnaround until 5:4. In the tenth game, Čilić reached the match point, but Rublev won the game for 5:5. In the next game, Rublev had a break, but Čilić managed to win the game for a 6:5 lead. After Rublev won his serve, the match went into the thirteenth game.
As of this year, at 6:6 a tie-break of up to 10 points is played in the deciding set. Čilić was the first to go ahead after a mini break for 4:2, and then with a fantastic game he scored another six points for 10:2 and a spot in the semifinals.
By entering the semifinals, Čilić achieved his greatest success at Roland Garros. He has reached the quarterfinals twice so far (2017, 2018), but lost both times. He was eliminated five years ago by the Swiss tennis player Stan Wawrinka, and a year later by Argentine player Juan Martin del Potro.
Čilić played the last semifinal at a Grand Slam in 2018, when he reached the final of the Australian Open. Čilić is also the first Croatian tennis player to reach all four Grand Slam semi-finals.
It was the seventh meeting between 33-year-old Čilić and 24-year-old Rublev and Čilić’s third victory.
More soon…
Source: HRT
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