ROGER FEDERER LOST TO WHO ? ACCORDING TO RICHARD EVANS BACK IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR. THE HOTTEST PLAYER ON THE ATP WORLD TENNIS TOUR

Written by: Staff on 6th September 2014

ROGER FEDERER LOST TO WHO ? ACCORDING TO RICHARD EVANS BACK IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR. THE HOTTEST PLAYER ON THE ATP WORLD TENNIS TOUR

epa04388704 Marin Cilic of Croatia celebrates after upsetting Roger Federer of Switzerland during their semifinals round match on the thirteenth day of the 2014 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 06 September 2014. The US Open runs through 08 September, a 15-day schedule. EPA/JUSTIN LANE |

Editors Note : Roger Federer went down in the 2014 US Open in the semis. Monday nights tv ratings will be the lowest in US tennis history. Sorry. It’s two GREAT players. But not exactly household names to most American’s .

We pulled Richards story from the vault. We hope you enjoy it. The match is a blur. It went too fast.

Roger Federer of Switzerland hits a return to Marin Cilic of Croatia during their semifinals round match on the thirteenth day of the 2014 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 06 September 2014. The US Open runs through 08 September, a 15-day schedule. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT

A win in Zagreb; a final in Rotterdam and now another title at the Delray Beach Open for Marin Cilic – it’s been a three week streak that has made the popular Croat the hottest player on the ATP tour this year. He has now won 14 of his last 15 matches and 18 in all – more than any other player.

But oh! how he had to work for it today. Cilic eventually beat home town boy Kevin Anderson 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 on his seventh match point after a thrilling battle that began under a warm Florida sun and finished under the lights. At 3 hrs 8 minutes it was the longest final in the tournament’s history.

“Yes, I had a lot of ups and down,” Cilic smiled afterwards. “It was a roller coaster. I got a bit too passive at the end of the second set and Kevin was serving really good. But eventually I got the job done.”

There was little to choose between the 6ft 8” South African who played three years college tennis at the University of Illinois and the 6ft 6” Croat in the first set which Cilic won on his second set point, 8-6 in the tie break.

Then it began to get complicated. Anderson broke to lead 1-0 in the second set; lost his break on a double fault for 3-3 and lost his serve again to leave Cilic serving for the match at 5-3. But Anderson had streaks of returning really well and another big, deep forehand stopped Cilic in his tracks.

In the tenth game the Croat reached his first match point but pushed a weak forehand instead of hitting it and Anderson swept away a winner off his backhand. The second breaker was chewy nails time as Cilic got to 6-4 but, again, could not nail down the match points as Anderson came up with a big first serve and then benefited from a poorly netted forehand from his anxious opponent.

The fourth match point was lost when Cilic netted another backhand – a shot he had been hitting with such certainty off his flat two hander for much of the previous two hours.

Anderson wrapped it up 9-7 to level the contest and there were more service breaks at the start of the third with Cilic emerging ahead 3-2 after Anderson hit a forehand wide in the fifth game.

Finally, Cilic found himself serving for the match a second time but promptly went down 0-40 after throwing in his eighth double fault. An ace – his 16th of the match — and a well struck backhand got him to deuce and then two more match points came and went as the Croat failed to go for his shots. So it was seventh time lucky when Anderson, who had fought so bravely for so long, netted a forehand.

For Goran Ivanisevic, the former Wimbledon champion who is now coaching Cilic, it had been agony. “It is far worse watching than playing, that’s for sure,” Goran told me. “What was he doing pushing the ball? I would rather he lost like a man than won like a pussy. Obviously he has a great three weeks but there is still lots of work to be done. His serve has improved since I’ve been with him and that got him out of trouble at 0-40 in that last game. But it was tough, I think, for both of us!”

Ivanisevic will take his man to Los Angeles for a few days hard work before the year’s first ATP Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells. But for poor Anderson there is even less rest. He was on a 7.30 am flight to Acapulco on Monday morning.

Topics: 10sballs, 2014 US Open, Atp, Delray Beach Open, Kevin Anderson, Marin Cilic, Richard Evans, Roger Federer, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Zagreb

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10sBalls_com says:

February 23, 2014 at 6:52 pm

Cilic beat Anderson from Richard Evans, Delray Beach – http://t.co/m1oHQacaK3 @cilic_marin @kevinanderson18 #tennis #news @Ringham7 #Delray
Ringham7 says:

February 23, 2014 at 7:06 pm

Ivanisevic on Cilic: “I would rather he lost like a man than won like a pussy”. My piece on Delray on http://t.co/Bl3HPyZOH8
BadToss says:

February 23, 2014 at 7:32 pm

RT @ana_mitric: Oh, Goran. I don’t suppose anyone’s ever explained why using “pussy” in this context isn’t a good idea? http://t.co/MBRTqyv…
Champingthebit says:

February 23, 2014 at 7:56 pm

RT @Ringham7: Ivanisevic on Cilic: “I would rather he lost like a man than won like a pussy”. My piece on Delray on http://t.co/Bl3HPyZOH8
10sBalls_com says:

September 6, 2014 at 5:14 pm

@rogerfederer LOST TO WHO ? ACCORDING TO @Ringham7 BACK IN FEBRUARY THIS YEAR. THE HOTTEST PLAYER ON THE #ATP http://t.co/HCjkLhWLcp #tennis