Help
11/25/08 11:55 PM | Ricky Dimon
TennisTalk will be focusing on the ATP's rising stars throughout the current off-season. This first edition features 20-year-old Croat Marin Cilic.
Meet Marin Cilic, a 20-year-old Croat who burst onto the scene in 2008 and won his first ATP title in New Haven during the U.S. Open Series.
Country: Croatia
Height: 6'6''
Age: 20 (9/28/88)
Ranking: 23
Career-High Ranking: 22
Best Grand Slam Performance: Fourth round at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2008
Claim to Fame: Won the Pilot Pen in New Haven the week before the 2008 U.S. Open
Best Shot: Serve. At 6'6'', however, Cilic can improve his serve even more. It's a force as it is, but it's not yet one of the best in tennis. Cilic's backhand his also top-notch, but his serve is his greatest strength.
Needs Work: Forehand. Cilic tends to break down off of this wing when he gets lulled into baseline rallies. He also needs to improve his net game. While his wingspan comes in handy in the forecourt, his volleys are not where they need to be. With the big serve and the kind of power game he possesses, Cilic must be able to follow it in and finish points at the net.
2008 Summary, 2009 Outlook: The sky is the limit for Cilic. He ended 2007 at No. 71 in the world and is now all the way up to 23rd despite missing some time in 2008 due to injuries. A facial nerve problem sidelined him for much of the indoor season following the U.S. Open. Most encouragingly, the Croat seems to thrive on the big stages and in the big moments. He won the last U.S. Open Series title of 2008 amidst a strong field in New Haven. Cilic beat Fernando Gonzalez, the 2007 Australian Open runner-up, en route to the fourth round Down Under, also reached the fourth round of Wimbledon this summer, and won two rounds at the U.S. Open before taking Novak Djokovic to a fourth-set tiebreaker in one of the best matches of the entire tournament. All that was missing was a fifth set.
Inconsistency has been a bit of problem, but that's only to be expected from a player of Cilic's age. Relatively bad losses in 2008 came at the hands of Nicolas Lapentti in the first round of the Masters Series Cincinnati, Mikhail Kukushkin the first round of the St. Petersburg Open, and Flavio Cipolla in a Challenger event. Nonetheless, an extra year should see the rise of a far more consistent Cilic. If Cilic can stay healthy, a 2009 breakout of Juan Martin Del Potro proportions would not be too surprising.
Tell a friend »
Scan QR code to access Unibet mobile.
Bet on Sports wherever you are and whenever you like, with Unibet's quick and simple mobile client you can place bets, check results and see live odds.
For more info about QR codes & scanners click here.
Contact us
/ About us
/ Cookies
/ Recommended links
/ Advertise
/ Sitemap
Tennistalk v1.5.0
Disclaimer © 2001-2012, Moneytainment Media Ltd - All rights reserved
I don't know about these big guys. I mean Del Potty is one of my favs but I can't see him getting amazingly good cos hes too tall! And the case is even greater with Cilic. Their weaknesses are obvious - hit them low slices all day long and make them change firection. Del Potty himself said he hates the slice, and its fricken obvious too. I'm not saying they don't have top ten potential, or maybe even top 5 potential, but I think their height will hold them back from too much GS success.
kaitepai , 11/26/08 2:21 AM