Wimbledon 2019: Marin Cilic upset in the second round 

Marin Čilić (Photo credit: Mario Ćužić/HTS)

LONDON, 4 July 2019 – Marin Cilic has been knocked out in the second round of Wimbledon on Thursday. 

Cilic was beaten by world no.45 João Sousa from Portugal in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in just over 2 hours and 15 minutes on Court 12 at the All England Club. Cilic made 46 unforced errors in the match as his disappointing season continued. It is now the second consecutive year he had been knocked out of Wimbledon in the second round. 

Cilic was broken in the opening game of the match and looked nervous in the opening few games, saving break points in his next service game. Cilic had a chance to get back into the set in the 8th game when he lead 0-40, but was unable to convert either of his break point chances as Sousa held on to go 1-0 up. 

Cilic started the second set with three break points in Sousa’s opening service game but again he could not take his chance. The 13th seed would have two more break points in Sousa’s next service game but once again the Portuguese managed to save them. A double-fault handed Sousa a break point in the fifth game of the set which he converted when Cilic made another unforced error. 

Cilic would make 14 unforced errors in the second set to Sousa’s 3, and this was the difference as the Portuguese held serve to the set 6-4.

Aggressive play at the start of the third set created two more break points for Cilic, his tenth in total, but Sousa managed to get himself out of trouble again. A cross-court forehand brushed the line to give Sousa a break as he went to 2-1 up. Cilic squandered two more break points in the next match with two forehands that went long.

That would prove to be the Croatians final chance to force the match into a fourth set as Sousa remained solid on serve to record a memorable win in front of his countryman Jose Mourinho. Before today’s match, Sousa had not taken a set off Cilic. 

Croatia’s hopes in the singles draw now lie with Petra Martic who plays her third round match on Friday against Anastasija Sevastova from Latvia.