US Open 2022: Carlos Alcaraz vs Marin Cilic preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick

By Rohit

Modified Sep 04, 2022 07:58 GMT

Match Details

Fixture: (3) Carlos Alcaraz vs (15) Marin Cilic.

Date: September 5, 2022.

Tournament: US Open 2022.

Round: Fourth round (Round of 16).

Venue: New York, United States.

Category: Grand Slam.

Surface: Hard.

Prize money: $60,102,000.

Live telecast: USA - ESPN & ESPN2 | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Sony Liv, Sony Ten & Sony Six.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Marin Cilic preview

Teen star Carlos Alcaraz will face off against World No. 17 Marin Cilic in the fourth round of the 2022 US Open on Monday.

Alcaraz led Sebastian Baez by two sets in the first round before the 21-year-old was forced to retire. He faced another Argentinian, Federico Coria, in the second round and won in straight sets. The teenager was up against home favorite Jenson Brooksby in the third round.

A solitary break of serve in the opening set was enough for Alcaraz to win it. The Spaniard started the second set by securing an early break to go 2-0 up, but Brooksby soon managed to level the score. However, the teenager broke the American's serve once again in the fifth game to lead 3-2. He broke his opponent's serve in the final game of the set to clinch it.

Brooksby displayed signs of a fightback in the third set as he jumped to a 3-0 lead. Alcaraz then reeled off six games in a row to win the match 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 and reach the fourth round for a second straight year.

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Marin Cilic began his quest for a second US Open title with straight-set victories over Maximilian Marterer and Albert Ramos-Vinalos. His third-round opponent was World No. 23 Dan Evans.

Neither player managed to break serve in the opening set, though Cilic had a couple of set points at 6-5 as Evans served to stay in the set. The duo held multiple set points in the ensuing tie-break, but it was the Croat who finally bagged the opener on his seventh opportunity.

Evans and Cilic broke each other's serve a couple of times in the second set, but neither managed to hold on to the lead they secured. It was time for another tie-break, with the Brit coming out on top to take the second set.

Cilic raised his level in the third set, breaking his opponent's serve twice to clinch it. Both players remained solid on serve in the fourth set, but Cilic broke Evans' serve in the final game of the match to win 7-6(11), 6-7(3), 6-2, 7-5.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Marin Cilic head-to-head

Alcaraz leads Cilic 2-1 in the head-to-head. He won their most recent encounter a few weeks ago at the Western & Southern Open in straight sets.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Marin Cilic odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games
Carlos Alcaraz	-450	+1.5 (-1000)	Over 36.5 (-120)
Marin Cilic	+310	-1.5 (+475)	Under 36.5 (-115)

(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)

Carlos Alcaraz vs Marin Cilic prediction

Their last meeting took place quite recently. After a close first set, Alcaraz dominated Cilic in the second set to win the match. The 2014 US Open champion will be looking to avenge that loss. He'll need to start by being more effective during return games as he went just 1/3 on break points the last time.

Cilic should've won his third-round match against Evans in straight sets, but a brief dip in form cost him the second set. Such a slip-up could prove costly against the teenager.

Alcaraz displayed his wide-ranging skills against Brooksby in the third round. He was constantly pounding his forehand for winners, while mixing it up with drop shots and frequent forays into the net. Cilic will need to keep up with the young Spaniard's aggressive ways, or he'll be left behind.

The former US Open champion is still a massive threat, but Alcaraz should be able to overcome the challenge posed by him.

Pick: Carlos Alcaraz to win in four sets.