WHAT HAPPENED: Marin Cilic, age 30, has played some of his best tennis at the US Open, taking the title in 2014. But the No. 22 seed from Croatia played nowhere near his best at the start of his Round 2 match against German Cedrik-Marcel Stebe, ranked No. 256 in the world.
Stebbe, age 28, broke Cilic's serve twice to take the first set, 6-4. Cilic found his footing in the second set, taking it 6-3, then won a complicated third set at 7-5. Cilic closed at the fourth set and the match at the three-hour mark. The final score: 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-3.
Cilic's serve let him down in the first set. He double-faulted six times, got just 36 percent of his first serves in and managed just one ace. By contrast, Stebe played a clean set and seemed unflustered by the fact that his court assignment got switched to a much bigger stage, in Arthur Ashe Stadium, after Rafael Nadal's opponent, Thanasi Kokkinakis pulled out with an injury. Indeed, in a pre-match interview, Stebe admitted to never having even practiced in the big stadium. He didn't seem to need, pulling off the first set easily.
The second set brought longer points, longer games and, for Cilic, a series of serves clocking in at around 130 miles-per-hour. At 6'6", Cilic can usually count on his big serve to deliver free points. And while his ace-count was stuck at just four, he set himself up to approach, and win, at the net. He took the second set, 6-3.
Cilic won his first service game at love to start the third set and looked as if he planned to cruise through it. But the players traded service breaks and it was 12:15 a.m. before Cilic finally closed it out, 7-5.
Cilic broke Stebe's serve in the fourth set and finally, after nearly three hours of play, won the match with a final score of 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-3.
WHAT IT MEANS: Nothing came easily for either Cilic or Stebe. They both struggled to get their first serves in, with Cilic managing to do so just 55 percent of the time. "Off and on" is the best way to describe the swings in momentum, energy and positivity. At times, Cilic looked to be trying to manufacture belief, as if he could will himself into a winning frame of mind. So Cilic had to do it the hard way, gutting out every single point. It was a long, difficult night but the former champion was tested–and he passed the test.
MATCH POINT: Cilic faces John Isner in the third round, which promises to be a big match between two big guys with big serves.
