NEW YORK // Marin Cilic, his first grand slam title in hand after a straight-sets pounding of Kei Nishikori in the US Open final, thanked Goran Ivanisevic for helping him rediscover joy in tennis.
The 14th-seeded Cilic, playing in his first major final, became the first Croatian man to lift a Grand Slam trophy since Ivanisevic at Wimbledon in 2001.
He began working with his one-time hero last November. It was the lowest point of his career as he served out a controversial doping ban for a banned stimulant that he says he ingested unwittingly in an over-the-counter supplement.
“Goran has brought lots of knowledge, the differences are small pieces in my game which really fit,” Cilic said.
“I have the belief to be more aggressive, and there is joy on the practice courts which brings out the best in me. I was waiting to be a Grand Slam champion.”
Cilic betrayed a wisp of superstition as he noted that Ivanisevic, too, won his Wimbledon title on a Monday – in a rain-delayed final at the All England Club.
“It must be star-crossed,” he said. “I win my Grand Slam on a Monday and Goran won on a Monday when he won Wimbledon.”
Cilic swept past 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer in the semi-finals and was similarly overpowering against Nishikori – trying to become the first Asian man to win a major.
“I was calm and played simple, my serve was very good,” he said. “I needed to put pressure on Kei. I felt like I was winning enough points.”
Cilic said his last three matches – straight-sets wins over sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych, Federer and Nishikori were the best he had ever put together.
“My mindset was I have to be positive or I would be in big trouble,” he said. “If I just place the ball and wait for mistakes I will be struggling. I was striking the ball very well.”
Cilic also said that his victory – and the appearance of himself and Nishikori in the first grand slam final since the Australian Open in 2005 not to feature Federer, Novak Djokovic or Nadal – should be a sign to other players striving to break through.
“Everything I was working for and dreaming came today,” he said. “I feel that for all the other players that are working hard, I think this is a big sign that if you’re working hard things are going to pay off.”
Nishikori vowed to be back. “I will get the trophy next time,” he said.
Cilic, playing in his 28th grand slam event, is the lowest-ranked champion since Pete Sampras, then 17th in the world, claimed the 2002 title in New York.
But victory was well-deserved with Cilic saving eight of nine break points, firing 17 aces and 38 winners past a weary-looking Nishikori who had defeated three top five players to make his maiden major final – Milos Raonic, Stan Wawrinka and world No 1 Novak Djokovic.
Monday’s final was the first at a major not to feature either Djokovic, Federer or Rafael Nadal since the 2005 Australian Open – so long ago that it was pre-Twitter.
It was also a battle of contrasting styles between the 5ft 10in (1.78m), 150lbs (68kg) Nishikori and the bigger, heavier 6ft 6in (1.98m), 180lbs (82kg) Cilic.
Under overcast skies and on the coolest day of a two-week tournament marked by punishing heat and high humidity, the championship match began inside a half-full Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Once he had saved a break point in the first game, Cilic was comfortably the dominant player breaking for 4-2 and claiming the opening set in 33 low-key minutes when Nishikori, on the defensive and pinned behind the baseline, patted a meek backhand into the net.
The big Croat’s 11 winners to the Japanese’s two illustrated the one-sided nature of the contest.
The winner of 20 of the previous 21 men’s finals in New York had claimed the first set.
However, Nishikori had dropped the opener to both Raonic and Wawrinka in the fourth round and quarter-finals but still came out on top.
Cilic, finding the tightest angles, pounced again in the third game of the second set when his opponent sliced another apologetic backhand into the net.
He backed it up for 3-1 after Nishikori was unable to convert two break points.
“Special K playing too defensive especially with his backhand. A lot of slices for some reason,” tweeted Brad Gilbert, who coached Nishikori in 2011, from the sidelines.
Four successive aces helped Cilic to 4-2 which was soon 5-2 as he clinched his third break of the final.
Nishikori briefly rallied for a first break of the match but Cilic went to set point courtesy of a misdirected overhead by the 10th seed and sealed it 6-3 with a pinpoint forehand drive which found the corner.
The 24-year-old Japanese player, who had spent more than 16 hours on court to make the final, cracked again to fall 1-3 down in the third set off a wild, wide backhand.
Cilic then saved three more break points for a 5-2 lead before Nishikori clung on with a hold.
Moments later, it was all over as Cilic went effortlessly to three match points.
He double-faulted on the first but claimed the title after one hour 54 minutes with a sweet backhand crosscourt.
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