CILIC HOPING FOR TEARS OF JOY THIS TIME
The last time Marin Cilic played Roger Federer in a Grand Slam final it literally ended in tears.
Trailing by a set and a break at Wimbledon last summer, Cilic called for the trainer and openly wept as the pain and frustration of blisters that prevented him giving his best swept over him.
Six months on and Cilic is preparing to face Federer again in the Australian Open final as he bids to add a second Grand Slam trophy to the US Open title he won so brilliantly in 2014.
He said: “In one way, I had to experience one amazing experience in a final and one not so amazing. So I had both emotionally, great and not great. I think it’s going to help me to stay focused on what I have to do.
“It’s big motivation for me to play that final and obviously to win, and I’m feeling really good with my game, and so hopefully I can have a great match and also great energy on the court.
“I’m feeling really, really good physically, even though I had a few matches that went more than three hours. I think I played a great tournament so far with my level of tennis.”
For all his confidence, there is no escaping the magnitude of the task ahead of him. Since winning his 18th Grand Slam title here so unexpectedly and brilliantly 12 months ago, Federer has only lost only five matches.
He added an eighth Wimbledon crown last summer and is now through to a record seventh Australian Open final having not dropped a set all fortnight. So what would No. 20 mean? “Twenty times special? I don’t know what to tell you,” said the Swiss.
It would be amazing. I can’t believe how fast the week has turned out to be.
“I’m just pleased that my game has been good from the very beginning of the tournament so far. I’ve won all my matches without dropping a set.
“Clearly I was a bit lucky against Tomas Berdych in that first set. But things must be all right if I’m at this stage not having dropped a set.”