Cilic Raises His Game At Roland Garros

Marin Cilic played with greater confidence on Thursday at Roland Garros, but experienced a tough route into the third round after he failed to convert one match point chance in the third set.

The third-seeded Croatian recorded his 20th match win of the season (20-8) by beating past 21-year-old Polish qualifier Hubert Hurkacz 6-2, 6-2, 6-7(3), 7-5 in two hours and 50 minutes.

Having lost just five of his first-service points through the first two sets, Cilic committed 38 of his 48 unforced errors in the next one hour and 45 minutes. He will next look to raise his game against American Steve Johnson, who moved past Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-2.

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Cilic saved the first break point of the match against No. 188-ranked Hurkacz in the fifth game, prior to break for a 4-2 lead, then, on his third set point at 5-2. Having hit nine winners in the opener, Cilic broke twice in the 32-minute second set and lost just six of his service points.

Hurkacz served better in the third set, which led to a service break for a 3-2 lead, but Cilic immediately bounced back. The Croatian star could not convert one match point opportunity when leading 6-5, with Hurkacz serving at 30/40, and paid the price in the tie-break. Almost 50 minutes later, Cilic raised his game to convert his eighth break point of the fourth set for a 6-5 advantage.

The lowest-ranked player that Cilic has lost to at a Grand Slam championships is France’s Thierry Ascione, who was No. 168 in the ATP Rankings, at Roland Garros in 2007.

Elsewhere, Italian No. 18 seed Fabio Fognini hit 27 winners to earn his 24th match victory of the season (9-5 on clay) after he defeated Elias Ymer of Sweden 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 in just under two hours. He will next challenge British No. 16 seed Kyle Edmund or last week’s Banque Eric Sturdza Geneva Open titlist, Marton Fucsovics of Hungary.

Did You Know?
Marin Cilic has won two of his 17 tour-level titles on clay courts at the 2012 Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag (d. Granollers) and the 2017 TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open (d. Raonic).

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