US Open: Winning start for former champ Marin Cilic

Marin Cilic (Photo credit: Mario Ćužić/HTS)

NEW YORK, 27 August 2019 – Former US Open champion Marin Cilic has opened his 2019 campaign at Flushing Meadows with a first round victory on Tuesday. 

Cilic, who is the tournament’s 22nd seed, hit 16 aces on his way to beating Slovakia’s Martin Klizan in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 in just over two hours to advance through to the second round. 

Cilic would be broken in the first game of the match as Klizan went out to a 2-0 lead, but the 30-year-old would break back in the sixth game before breaking again in the eighth to take the opening set. 

The Croatian broke his opponent in the opening game of the second set, before breaking again to race to a 3-0 lead. He would take the set 6-2 before closing out the third set in a tie-breaker to join fellow Croatian players Borna Coric and Petra Martic in the second round. 

Martic (28) advance through to the second round for the first time in 8 years yesterday when she beat Slovenian Tamara Zidansek 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 in just over two hours.

12th seed Borna Coric made light work of his first round match against Russian qualifier Jevgenij Donskoj last night. The Croatian won in straight sets 7-6, 6-3, 6-0.