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Cilic claims US Open title

September 9, 2014

Under an overcast sky and in a half-full Arthur Ashe stadium, Croatia's Marin Cilic won his first Grand Slam title in New York on Monday, beating Japan's Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in the mens' US Open final.

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Tennisprofi Marin Cilic aus Kroatien gewinnt die US-Open 2014
Image: Reuters

The 14th-seeded Cilic took down the 10th-seeded Nishikori, the first Asian man to make a Grand Slam final, with 17 aces, including four in one game. With the victory Cilic became the first Croatian man to win a major title since Goran Ivanisevic, now his coach, won in Wimbledon in 2001.

"Marin was playing really well today, I couldn't play my tennis," conceded Nishikori. "It's a tough loss but I am happy to get to my first final. But I will get the trophy next time - it was a fun two weeks."

"There has been a lot of hard work in these last few years and especially this last year," Cilic told news agency AFP. "I enjoyed my best tennis over here and played the best ever in my life."

Cilic missed out on last year's US Open while serving a four-month ban for doping. He appealed the initial two-year ban, saying he ingested the stimulant unintentionally via a glucose tablet.

The matchup between the two players, both making their Grand Slam final debuts, had been unexpected. Nishikori, 24, and Cilic, 25, knocked out favorites Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, respectively, in the semifinals, making Monday's final the first not to feature Djokovic, Federer or Rafael Nadal since the 2005 Australian Open.

On Sunday, world number one Serena Williams won her third consecutive US Open title against Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki. The victory marked the sixth US Open crown for the 32-year-old American, and the 18th grand slam title of her career, earning her a place in the record books.

cmk/ (AP, AFP, dpa)