Updated2 June 2022, 00:55
The Croatian beat Russian Andrey Rublev in five sets in the quarter-finals of the Paris tournament and the Norwegian eliminated young Dane Holger Rune in four sets in the evening.
At 33, Marin Cilic is finally in the last four in Paris.
AFP
The Croatian Marin Cilic, ex-No 3 global today 23equalified for the first time in his career for the semi-finals of Roland-Garros by overcoming the No 7 Andrey Rublev in five sets 5-7 6-3 6-4 3-6 7-6 (10-2) on Wednesday.
For a place in the final, the 33-year-old will face Norwegian Casper Ruud (23, ATP 8) who defeated young Dane Holger Rune, 40e world at 19, in four sets and 3 hours 15 of play 6-1 4-6 7-6 (7/2) 6-3.
It will also be a first semi-final for the winner of the Geneva Open on May 21, who was eliminated in the third round the three previous editions.
Cilic, for his part, thus becomes the fifth active player to have reached the last four in the four Grand Slam tournaments, along with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. He is the first Croatian player to achieve such a performance.
33 aces
After smashing the No World 2 Daniil Medvedev in the previous round, the tall Croatian (1.98m) hit 88 winning shots, including 33 aces (for 71 unforced errors), to win following the very first super tie-break (in ten points) disputed on the Central of Roland-Garros, following 4 hours 10 of match.
The other semi-final will oppose, on Friday, Rafael Nadal, thirteen times crowned on Parisian clay and Novak Djokovic’s scorer in a memorable shock completed on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, at No 3 mondial Alexander Zverev.
(AFP)
