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The wait is finally over. Here we are - on the last day of the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year. The men’s final will begin in a few hours from now as Marin Cilic and Kei Nishikori set to battle it out for their first major win.
Who would’ve guessed of a final featuring these two players when the draw was announced? Everyone had bet on a Roger Federer V Novak Djokovic final, but Cilic and Nishikori quelled a repeat of this year’s Wimbledon final with some superb tennis. Check this stat – Nishikori lost in the first round at the US Open last year, while Cilic did not participate.
The last time the Big 4 were not part of a major final was at the 2005 Australian Open where Marat Safin had beaten Lleyton Hewitt.
There’s nothing to take away from Cilic and Nishikori’s game though. They have been knocking on the top 10 door for far too long and it is time for them to reap the benefits. Nishikori is the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam final, while Cilic’s best showing at a slam was the 2010 Australian Open semifinal. The Croat relies on his big serve and his two-handed backhand to bail him out of crucial moments, while Japan No. 1 is very good dictating points from the baseline with powerful forehands.
Both men have had their share of injuries in the past, but are looking good going into the most important match of their young careers thus far. Nishikori fought his way through two tough five-set matches against Milos Raonic and Stanislas Wawrinka and followed it up with a win over World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in four sets. Cilic’s serve has been his biggest weapon this fortnight in New York with the Croat hitting 19 aces in his win over Tomas Berdych in the quarters and 13 against Federer in the semis.
The 6”6’ Cilic would tie Juam Martin Del Potro as the tallest man to win the Open if he does get the better of Nishikori in today’s final. The coaches of the finalists were rivals on the court as well! Goran Ivanisevic (Cilic’s coach) and Michael Chang (Nishikori’s coach) had met 11 times during their career with Chang winning on six occasions. Both won a single Grand Slam in their career. ( Chang – 1989 French Open and Ivanisevic – 2001 Wimbledon).
The two have met seven times before, with Nishikori leading 5-2. Nishikori has also won thier last three meetings. They’ve played twice at Flushing Meadows and have split those matches with Cilic winning the last one in 2012.
Nishikori will have slight advantage if it comes to backhand rallies, while Cilic will look to get points off his serve. If the No. 14 seed can replicate his serving in the last two rounds, Nishikori cannot stop him. However, if there is a dip in his first serve percentage, the No. 10 seed will surge ahead with a solid serve and better groundstrokes.
The winner will not only raise their first Grand Slam, but get richer by $3 million. The match starts at 2:30 am India time.
Prediction: Marin Cilic in four sets.
