Marin Cilic is a relieved man after holding off inspired American wild card Denis Kudla on a day he admits he never quite found his A-game.
He has already survived two five-set epics at this year’s Championships – beating Ricardis Berankis 7-5 in the fifth and John Isner 12-10 in the fifth – and looked headed for his third in as many matches when his unlikely opponent, the world No.105, held a break point to serve for the fourth set on Monday.
Cilic's 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 result secured a second straight quarter-final place at the All England Club and a potential re-match with defending champion Novak Djokovic, having extended the Serbian to five sets at the same stage last year.
"In the game where Novak is playing at the speed that he's playing, of course, that's the speed that he's going to be better at, so I'm going to have to be more aggressive to play more risky tennis,” Cilic said should Djokovic complete a five-set comeback when his fifth set against Kevin Anderson resumes on Tuesday. “Of course that leaves less margins for error, but that's the way I was playing last year. I think this would be the best opportunity for me to try to play full on.”
The No.9 seed Croatian extended his winning streak against American opponents to 25 after his four-set triumph over Kudla but it was not smooth sailing. “I was not playing too great today. I would say just serving‑wise the level was a bit, a fraction lower than my previous match with John (Isner),” Cilic said. “I think Denis was playing really well. He was not missing much and a little bit different game, and this court plays a bit faster than the other ones, so it was not easy.
“Obviously these two matches, the last ones, third round and second round gave me little bit more confidence as winning in five does this. So really confident for the next match.”
It's been great. Great month, for sure. Can't complain
Ukrainian-born Kudla came into this year’s Championships having never made it past the second round of a Grand Slam. He landed a wild card after winning the Ilkley Challenger on grass in the lead-up and had five-setters over No.28 seed Pablo Cuevas and Santiago Giraldo among his earlier wins here.
“It's been great. Great month, for sure. Can't complain. Pretty much couldn't ask for really a better run except for obviously winning the tournament, but that would be a dream come true,” he said. “But I was happy the way I played, played with the top players. I'm really, really confident going into the US swing after this result.”
He was the first American man to reach the fourth round since 2012. An honour for Kudla, but something he would rather have been sharing with a compatriot. “It's a cool feeling. Obviously I wish there were more Americans in there,” he said. “I was kind of pulling for Isner so we have a guaranteed guy in the quarters, but to have that opportunity to be the last American man in a Slam is pretty special.”
Earlier Canada’s Vasek Pospisil reached his maiden Grand Slam singles quarter-final when he surged back from two sets down against No.22 seed Viktor Troicki on Court 12. Pospisil’s 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory restored some pride to an otherwise dismal campaign for the Canadians after Eugenie Bouchard’s run to the women’s final last year and Milos Raonic’s semi-final place in the men’s. This year both were gone before the fourth round.
It would become a marathon day for the 25-year-old Pospisil as he would later fight out another five-setter, this time coming out on the losing end with American Jack Sock as the defending men’s doubles champions.
His reward for downing Troicki is a quarter-final date with 2013 champion Andy Murray and he is confident of being fresh enough to get back up in two days’ time. “Obviously I played a lot of tennis, but, you know, one day recovery is a lot. So can sleep well tonight. Just have a full day of rest tomorrow. Do a lot of, you know, recovery and stuff. Then come out strong on Wednesday and take it to him,” Pospisil said.
It represented his third five-set triumph in four matches at this year’s Championships. He brought up three match points with a big unreturnable serve down the T and sealed it when Troicki couldn’t lift a scrambling backhand over the net. “I have been working to be more clutch mentally and, you know, in big moments,” Pospisil said. “Actually, I feel like I'm stepping up my game and I'm more ambitious than ever right now.”
