2014 US Open Final: Nishikori vs. Cilic

[britbox]

An injection of new blood... it's good for the sport (sorry to see Fed go down today, as a fan) - but in the great scheme of things it's time for the younger guys to step up.

 

[Front242]

An injection of new blood... it's good for the sport (sorry to see Fed go down today, as a fan) - but in the great scheme of things it's time for the younger guys to step up.

Nice play on words there in the first sentence haha PS: Roger had a most likely unintentionally hilarious and ambiguous quote about Cilic the other night after the Monfils match saying how he is "playing really nice, you know. I must say he's really cleaned up his game."

 

[GameSetAndMath]

But, seriously what happened today. Roger is usually very good at playing against big
servers. He could not get a read on Cilic's serves at all throughout the day.

 

[Front242]

But, seriously what happened today. Roger is usually very good at playing against big
servers. He could not get a read on Cilic's serves at all throughout the day.

Those serves imo were better than Raonic's have been against Roger last few matches. Not all about brute force but such good placement, especially down the T. Fed himself is well capable of serving like that as we saw from the Wimbledon final, just not today. That said, Cilic fired one at 137mph and you rarely see Fed hitting over 125-128 though he's hit 140mph at Halle 2010. It was mostly placement rather than speed from Cilic today though and Roger's returns when he had chances on 2nd serves were extremely poor.

Poor returning or not though from Roger, Cilic played extremely high level tennis and aside from at least winning one measly set, I doubt Roger would've fared much better anyway even if he'd returned a bit better. He hasn't been good at backing up breaks of serve for quite a while now, except against the likes of Granola in the final 3 sets.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I agree that Cilic's serves were more about placement than speed. I actually checked the
stats. Cilic's average first serve speed was 122 and second serve was 91. That speed is
fairly normal in ATP matches. Even his fastest serve was only 132 mph.

I think Fed was drained mentally going into the match due to the previous match.
More of a mental drain than physical drain.

 

[Riotbeard]

I agree that Cilic's serves were more about placement than speed. I actually checked the
stats. Cilic's average first serve speed was 122 and second serve was 91. That speed is
fairly normal in ATP matches. Even his fastest serve was only 132 mph.

I think Fed was drained mentally going into the match due to the previous match.
More of a mental drain than physical drain.

Cough, excuse, cough.

 

[TsarMatt]

Am I...

Where...

Is this real?

I still can't wrap my head around the fact that this happening. Kei vs. Cilic - the US OPEN FINAL?! Completely stunned.

Umm...

I want Nishikori to win.

And I really hope he does, too.

 

[Moxie]

I agree that Cilic's serves were more about placement than speed. I actually checked the
stats. Cilic's average first serve speed was 122 and second serve was 91. That speed is
fairly normal in ATP matches. Even his fastest serve was only 132 mph.

I think Fed was drained mentally going into the match due to the previous match.
More of a mental drain than physical drain.

Cough, excuse, cough.

In fairness, Roger did look a bit flat, and the humidity was brutal. However, Cilic put the pressure on and never let up. He didn't really let Fed play his game, or get his teeth in the match.

Now, this thread is about the final. Both finalists played great and valiant tennis, punching above our expectations. I'd love to see Kei get it, but Marin looked formidable today, and he has a big height advantage. If he keeps Nishikori from playing his game, the way he did Roger today, I think he wins. But lots here have mentioned the Nishikori ROS. And while both looked calm today, nerves may get into it....They played as underdogs today, but they'll both know on Monday that they've got a shot at the title.

 

[Front242]

They both played extremely well today but it's gonna look a lot better for tennis if Nishikori wins for obvious reasons. That said, I like both player's games so personally I'm not too pushed who wins it but in the big picture I definitely feel it does the sport no good if Cilic wins.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I agree that Cilic's serves were more about placement than speed. I actually checked the
stats. Cilic's average first serve speed was 122 and second serve was 91. That speed is
fairly normal in ATP matches. Even his fastest serve was only 132 mph.

I think Fed was drained mentally going into the match due to the previous match.
More of a mental drain than physical drain.

Cough, excuse, cough.

The discussion we were having is about Fed not getting a read on Cilic's serves.
It has nothing to do with winning / losing the match and excuses.

 

[Moxie]

I agree that Cilic's serves were more about placement than speed. I actually checked the
stats. Cilic's average first serve speed was 122 and second serve was 91. That speed is
fairly normal in ATP matches. Even his fastest serve was only 132 mph.

I think Fed was drained mentally going into the match due to the previous match.
More of a mental drain than physical drain.

Cough, excuse, cough.

The discussion we were having is about Fed not getting a read on Cilic's serves.
It has nothing to do with winning / losing the match and excuses.

Oh, sorry...I admit I was not caught up.

 

[DarthFed]

Definitely rooting for Kei for obvious reasons. But Cilic was playing monstrous today and he probably wins and leaves a black eye on the sport.

 

[Moxie]

Definitely rooting for Kei for obvious reasons. But Cilic was playing monstrous today and he probably wins and leaves a black eye on the sport.

I get that a besmirched reputation carries with it a stench, but there is no reason to imply that what went before is what causes the better play now. What about his new coach? Better focus and confidence? Cilic is better after his ban than before it.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Well I am not jumping off the Kei Band Waggon

Go you Japanese Warrior and win your 1st GS title!!!!!!

Honestly if Marin wins that is fine with me as well.

 

[Front242]

^ The issue is this in a nutshell: we've had Troicki banned unjustly longer than Cilic but he's laboring away on challenger circuits and clearly this is doing the sport no bad press as he has to fight back the hard way but Cilic on the other hand was given a silent ban and then right after his ban he comes back to potentially win the tournament he missed last year because of said ban. Up until now guys who have received bans have gone nowhere and now here we are with a guy back from a greatly reduced and silent ban on the cusp of potentially winning a slam. That does the sport no good in the doping culture we sadly all live in now and whether or not he is/was/or never was on anything no one knows (mostly because they just bought his redundant over the counter tainted supplement excuse that everyone uses) but it certainly taints the sport for many.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

yes..dr drugz is in the sodding final.

hopefully the "beast from the east" can win his first major and save tennis. go kei.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

It wasn't so much Cilic's serve that amazed me today, it was his return. He read Roger's serve so well and he put so many returns right on Roger's feet and put him on the backfoot, I lost count. He did not let Roger dictate at any time during the match and that is extremely unusual...

 

[GameSetAndMath]

It wasn't so much Cilic's serve that amazed me today, it was his return. He read Roger's serve so well and he put so many returns right on Roger's feet and put him on the backfoot, I lost count. He did not let Roger dictate at any time during the match and that is extremely unusual...

Well, as I already said Cilic Served well, Returned Well, struck the ball cleanly from the
base line. In short, he did everything well and did so from the beginning till the end of
the match. Roger was never in the match.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

^ The issue is this in a nutshell: we've had Troicki banned unjustly longer than Cilic but he's laboring away on challenger circuits and clearly this is doing the sport no bad press as he has to fight back the hard way but Cilic on the other hand was given a silent ban and then right after his ban he comes back to potentially win the tournament he missed last year because of said ban. Up until now guys who have received bans have gone nowhere and now here we are with a guy back from a greatly reduced and silent ban on the cusp of potentially winning a slam. That does the sport no good in the doping culture we sadly all live in now and whether or not he is/was/or never was on anything no one knows (mostly because they just bought his redundant over the counter tainted supplement excuse that everyone uses) but it certainly taints the sport for many.

But there is the other side of the story too. The guy gets banned from an offense he never accepted, does not get bitter,does not sit on his arse, hires a new coach, improves his game at an age where most players stop improving, plays an amazing 10 day of tennis, tops it of with one of the best display of shotmaking against one of the greatest players in the history of the game in Roger, makes it to the finals deserving every bit...

I am sure one could see it that way if one chose to do so. Everyone has an opinion.

 

[tennisville]

Today reminds me of the semis of 2008 AO.

Both Roger and Rafa were involved in the semifinals and everyone thought that they
will make it to the finals and it will be a Fedal final.

However, Novak took out Roger and Tsonga took out Rafa to produce an unexpected
final.

What are you talking about.Most people felt something was wrong with Fed and Novak would take him out. I also predicted Tsonga to destroy Nadal in that match actually as well

I hope Kei wins .He has played better players on his route to the final