Marin
Cilic went up against Federico Delbonis in the first rubber of the Davis Cup,
with Cilic being the heavy favourite having not lost a single set against
Delbonis in their previous matches.
1st Set: Perfect start for Cilic
Cilic
looked like Croatia was going to have the win in the first rubber after Cilic
won the first set by the score of 6-3 easily, with Delbonis looking like he is
unable to go against the merciless offensive play by Cilic, with his serves
consistently going above the 200km/h mark.
2nd Set: Cilic inches closer to the win
The 2nd
set was much closer, but Cilic used his experience and the support from the
home crowd to break Delbonis’ serve at 5-5 to have the chance to serve for a 2
sets lead. He successfully served out the set 7-5, and brought himself closer
to winning the first rubber for Croatia and giving them a headstart. Through
the first two sets, Cilic fired 12 aces and no double faults, and facing no
break points in the process.
3rd Set: Delbonis keeps himself in the match
The third
set started going the way of the Argentinian, when he drew first blood when he
broke Cilic’s serve for the first time in the match. Cilic broke back
immediately, to the delight of the local fans. Delbonis started going on a roll
from 3-3, saving break points and then breaking Cilic’s serve to have the advantage
once again. He then managed to serve out the set to keep him in the hunt for
the win.
4th Set: Delbonis produces stunning comeback to level the match
The fourth
set was dominated by Delbonis, after he broke Cilic’s serve twice at the start
of the set to lead 3-0. Cilic finally won his first game at 0-4, holding his
serve comfortably to give him a glimpse of hope. Nevertheless, Cilic’s
struggles continued as Delbonis held his serve and broke his serve for the
third time in the set to win the fourth set 6-1 and keep the score level at 2
sets all.
5th Set: Cilic regains his composure and close out the match
Cilic
managed to regain his composure in the final set after a toilet break, breaking
Delbonis’ serve in the first game to let him have the lead once again. Cilic
broke once again at 4-2, keeping him just a game away from clinching the first
rubber while having a double break lead. With the momentum with him, Cilic
served out the match, and won the first rubber for Croatia and gave them a
headstart to the tie.
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| Cilic's reaction after he won the match. Photo by Reuters |
“The crowd helped me to stay in there and it was not easy after being two-sets-to-love up. Federico played great tennis from the middle of the third till the end of the fourth. He was not missing much. He was playing really aggressive. It wasn’t easy.“ (Adapted from official Davis Cup website)