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Match Details
Fixture: (7) Marin Cilic vs Alexander Bublik.
Date: 15 June 2022
Tournament: Cinch Championships 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: London, United Kingdom.
Category: ATP 500.
Surface: Grass.
Prize money: €2,134,520.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video.
Marin Cilic vs Alexander Bublik preview
2017 Wimbledon finalist Marin Cilic will take on World No. 37 Alexander Bublik in the second round of the 2022 Cinch Championships on Wednesday.
Following a maiden semifinal finish at the French Open, Cilic arrived in London to commence his grass season. Up against home favorite Liam Broady in the first round, he won five games in a row to take the opening set with ease.
Cilic broke Broady's serve in the second set to go 3-2 up, but the Brit immediately struck back to level the score. With the 2014 US Open champion serving to stay in the set at 5-4, he was broken and the match went the distance. The deciding set was a closely contested affair, with both players refusing to yield.
Cilic secured the decisive break in the 11th game of the set and then served out the match quite comfortably to win 6-1, 4-6, 7-5. A quarterfinalist at the tournament last year, he'll be aiming to go further this time around.
At last week's Boss Open in Stuttgart, Alexander Bublik won a tight two-set match against Denis Kudla before losing to former World No. 1 Andy Murray in straight sets.
Bublik kicked off his campaign in London against Lorenzo Musetti. He went up an early break and held on to the lead to nab the first set 6-3. The Italian then took a nasty fall at the start of the second set and was unfortunately unable to continue playing.
Musetti decided to retire to avoid aggravating the injury, securing Bublik's passage into the second round.
Marin Cilic vs Alexander Bublik head-to-head
Cilic leads Bublik 2-0 in the head-to-head. He won their most recent encounter at the 2021 Italian Open in straight sets. Both of his wins have come on clay, and this will be their first meeting on grass.
Marin Cilic vs Alexander Bublik odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Marin Cilic vs Alexander Bublik prediction
Cilic is one of the best grass court players of his generation. He has won three titles on the surface and has reached three other finals as well, including one at Wimbledon. Bublik is a decent competitor on grass too, but his expertise on the surface pales in comparison to his opponent.
Both players are known for their booming serves. Cilic hit 18 aces in his first-round win over Broady and won 86% of his first serve points. Bublik didn't get to play a full match as Musetti was forced to retire midway, but his serving stats were good as well.
Cilic's level dipped quite a bit in the second set, as he committed 19 unforced errors. He stepped up his game again in the deciding set as he lost just four points on serve. But such lapses might prove to be costly against Bublik. The Kazakh, on his part, has had the occasional dip in form mid-match as well.
Cilic's forehand has been on fire for a while, and he'll be aiming to utilize it efficiently against Bublik. He's a two-time champion at this tournament and knows how to win matches at the Queen's Club. Bublik could provide stiff resistance, but the Croat should be able to move forward.
Pick: Marin Cilic to win in straight sets.
