Marin Čilić

Marin Čilić

Country Croatia
Residence Zagreb, Croatia
Date of birth September 28, 1988 (1988-09-28) (age 20)
Place of birth Medugorje Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Height 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight 81 kg (180 lb)
Turned pro 2005
Retired Active
Plays Right-handed; two-handed backhand
Career prize money $1,063,972
Singles
Career record: 61–50
Career titles: 2
Highest ranking: No. 20 (January 12, 2009)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open 4R (2008, 2009)
French Open 2R (2008)
Wimbledon 4R (2008)
US Open 3R (2008)
Doubles
Career record: 9–10
Career titles: 0
Highest ranking: 241 (July 14, 2008)
Infobox last updated on: January 12, 2009.

Marin Čilić (born September 28, 1988 in Medugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, ) is a tennis player from Croatia. His career high so far is no. 20, achieved on January 12, 2009.

Tennis career

2004-2007

In 2005, as a junior, he won the 2005 French Open in boys' singles and was at one point ranked the world's top junior player. He finished the year ranked number two, behind American Donald Young.

In 2004, he played one Futures event (Croatia F1), at which he reached the second round; he finished the year tied at No. 1463 on the rankings of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP Tour). He played seven Futures tournaments in 2005, winning one, the Croatia F3 event; two Challenger tournaments, in Zagreb and Geneva; and one ATP International Series tournament, on Croatia Open Umag, where he lost in the opening round. He finished the year ranked No. 587.

In 2006, he played three Futures, winning the Croatia F1 and Croatia F2 events, nine challengers, nine International Series events (reaching the semis at Gstaad), and two Davis Cup ties, against Austria and Argentina. By the end of the year, he was ranked No.170.

In 2007, he won the first and second professional tournaments of his career: the Casablanca Challenger (in April) and the Rijeka Challenger (in May). In June, at the Queen's Club tournament in London, he beat Tim Henman in the first round, after trailing 2–4 in the final set, and reached the quarterfinals, where he fell to Andy Roddick. After that performance, he reached a new career-high ranking of No. 101 on June 18, 2007.

In the World Group playoffs in the first round of the 2007 Davis Cup, he beat Benjamin Becker from Germany. Croatia went on to lose to Germany in the best-out-of-five round robin format of singles and doubles.


2008

In 2008, he has reached the semi-finals in the Chennai Open, in both singles and doubles. In the singles, he beat Viktor Troicki 3–6, 7–6(6), 6–1 in the first round, Nicolas Mahut 6–2, 6–4 in the second round, Robin Haase 4–6, 6–2, 6–3 in the quarterfinals and eventually went out 6–2, 6–3 in the semi-finals to Mikhail Youzhny who went on to win the tournament.

Čilić made it to the 4th round of the Australian Open 2008, taking out 2 seeds on his way, including 2007 Australian Open finalist Fernando González. James Blake went on to beat him 6–3, 6–4, 6–4 in the 4th round. He then already achieved his goal for the year of reaching the top 40. His 4th round result at the Australian Open put him at #39 in the ATP rankings.

Čilić also made it to the 4th round of Wimbledon, beating Jarkko Nieminen 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-5 in the 2nd round and knocking off the fourteenth seed Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(6). He lost in straight sets to Arnaud Clément. At the Canada Masters, he defeated Andy Roddick in Toronto in order to reach the quarter-final stage, thus making it his best performance in a Masters Series tournament so far. He lost in three sets to Gilles Simon in quarter-finals.

Čilić played the Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven, Connecticut where he won his first ATP title. He defeated Viktor Troicki, Jürgen Melzer, Igor Andreev and 2007 finalist Mardy Fish in the final, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

Čilić reached the 3rd round of the US Open, losing to Novak Djokovic 6-7(7), 7-5, 6-4, 7-6(0). In the first round, he defeated Julien Benneteau in five sets, in a match that lasted more than four hours, winning the deciding set by 6-2. He then defeated Robby Ginepri in four sets, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5.


2009

He won his first title of 2009 and second career ATP title in the 2009 Chennai Open, defeating first-time finalist Indian Somdev Devvarman.[1]
He reached the fourth round of the Australian Open after beating David Ferrer in straight sets, equalling his 2008 record. In the fourth round, he was defeated by Juan Martin del Potro in 4 sets.