Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Friday 26 January 2018
Cilic joins elite group by reaching Australian Open final

By JOHN PYE couple balls go past him.
AP Sports Writer ... I was seeing with this
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) movement he was a little
— Marin Cilic is in exclusive bit restricted so I just tried to
company at the Australian move the ball around.”
Open. Cilic didn’t face another
With his 6-2, 7-6 (4), 6-2 break point after the open-
semifinal win over 49th- ing game and took ad-
ranked Kyle Edmund, Cilic vantage of his experience,
became only the second while Edmund got heated
man from outside the “Big in his first major semifinal
Four” to reach the final at match, arguing with the
season-opening major in a chair umpire over a call in
decade. the fifth game of the sec-
Roger Federer, Rafael Nad- ond set and demanding
al, Novak Djokovic and the tournament supervisor
Andy Murray have domi- come onto court to explain
nated the men’s finals since the ruling. It just delayed
2009, with only 2014 cham- the inevitable.
pion Stan Wawrinka break- Wins over U.S. Open runner-
ing the quartet’s court oc- up Kevin Anderson in the
cupation in the champion- first round and in the quar-
ship match. terfinals over third-seeded
The 29-year-old Cilic, the Grigor Dimitrov took a toll
first Croatian to make the on Edmund, who needed
final at Melbourne Park, a medical timeout.
could face the founding Croatia’s Marin Cilic celebrates after defeating Britain’s Kyle Edmund in their semifinal at the “Well, obviously just disap-
member of the “Big Four” in Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018. pointed I lost, but yeah,
the final on Sunday. Associated Press I mean, it’s been a really
That’s if defending cham- “I played a great tourna- in Melbourne in 2010, then top in the first set and, af- good couple of weeks for
pion Federer can get past ment so far with my level of waited 16 more majors to ter maintaining his compo- me,” he said.
Hyeon Chung on Friday. tennis. surpass that level by reach- sure in a nervy second-set “Just got the experience of
Cilic lost to Federer in last “I improved it comparing to ing that U.S. Open final. tiebreaker, quickly estab- going deep in a Slam for
year’s Wimbledon final, end of the last year. The long wait didn’t both- lished a break in the third the first time and all the stuff
where he was injured and I’m playing much, much er him. Besides, his 10 at- set. “I think in that second that comes with it.
struggling at the end. more aggressive — feeling tempts to reach the Austra- set, I was just a little up Playing a couple matches
This time, he has held off really excited about the fi- lian final equaled an Open and down with my game. on Rod Laver. “Obviously
No. 10 Pablo Carreno Bus- nal, too.” It’ll be a third ma- era record held by 1980 I wasn’t getting enough disappointed right now,
ta and top-ranked Rafael jor final for Cilic, who beat runner-up Kim Wawrick. returns back to put pres- but can be very happy
Nadal and thinks, with two Federer in the semifinals at Cilic was under pressure sure on him in his service with the way I’ve gone
days to rest before the final, the 2014 U.S. Open before early against Edmund and games,” Cilic said. about things. Played a lot
he’ll be in better shape. going on to win his break- had to fend off break points “I noticed that in the third of tough matches.
“I’m feeling really, really through Grand Slam title. in the opening game. game in third set, when Won some tough matches.
good physically,” he said. He reached the semifinals He held and quickly got on I broke him, he just let a Beat good players.”q

Halep-Wozniacki she’d made the decision

then to risk it all at Mel-
Continued from Page 17 of her second-round win bourne Park and take a rest
and said she’s been “play- later. “This match I had two
Wozniacki, who beat Elise ing with the house money” match balls and I lost them
Mertens 6-3, 7-6 (2) in 1½ ever since. so I said that if she came
hours in the first semifinal, Previous Australian Open back, I can do it. I had just
hasn’t held the top ranking winners have saved match confidence in myself,” she
in six years. points en route to the final, said. Halep has a new re-
For Halep, playing in her but no woman has done it solve after back-to-back
first Grand Slam as the top in two matches. first-round exits previously at
seeded player, it’s a first Halep is hoping to change Melbourne Park. She won a
major final beyond the that, saying that saving tri- lot of the long, intense ral-
clay courts of Roland Gar- ple match point in her third- lies against Kerber and hit
ros. She lost French Open round win against Lauren Germany’s Angelique Kerber rests on the court after winning 50 winners, which surprised
a point against Romania’s Simona Halep during their semifinal
finals to Jelena Ostapenko Davis that finished 15-13 in at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, even her. She raced to a
last year — having led by a the third set had set her up Australia, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018. 5-0 lead in the first set, and
set and a break — and to mentally for the pressure of Associated Press led 3-1 in the second, but
Maria Sharapova in 2014. the semifinals. ment to have these match- lian final in his 10th attempt, didn’t wilt as Kerber came
For Wozniacki, it’s her first “Definitely was very tough. es, but I have just to enjoy.” the 2014 U.S. Open cham- back.
Grand Slam final outside I’m shaking now, I’m really Marin Cilic is also enjoy- pion will face the winner “I try to be very calm, but
of America. The two-time emotional because I could ing his run, following up his of Friday’s semifinal match today I was like a roller
U.S. Open runner-up also win this match,” Halep said quarterfinal upset against between defending cham- coaster, up and down,”
had to save match points immediately after beating top-ranked Rafael Nadal pion Roger Federer and Hy- she said. “But I didn’t give
to reach her first Australian Kerber in another mara- with a 6-2, 7-6 (4), 6-2 win eon Chung. up, not even a ball. I’m
Open final. She rallied from thon. “I’m glad I could re- over No. 49 Kyle Edmund. Halep twisted her left ankle really proud of myself,
5-1 down in the third set sist. Not easy in the tourna- After reaching the Austra- in the first round, and said actually.”q