No.6 seed Marin Cilic laid down a marker for his Australian Open prospects with a comprehensive 6-1 7-5 6-2 victory over Joao Sousa to underline his credeitials as a Grand Slam contender at Melbourne Park.
The former US Open champion, a finalist at Wimbledon a year ago, looked every bit the seasoned pro as he dispatched Sousa with a minimum of fuss, safely booking his spot in the third round in one hour, 45 minutes having fallen at the same stage a year ago.
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Cilic was nigh-on perfect in the opening set, winning all but two points on serve, firing 14 winners – including seven aces – and making just four unforced errors to blitz Sousa in 21 blistering minutes. The Croatian can make opponents look as if they are playing in slow motion, his flat drives and baseline-hugging positioning starving them of the critical fractions of seconds that turn a solid shot into a defensive scramble.
Sousa, left still seeking his first win against a top-10 player at a major after 10 attempts, dug in in the second set. The world No.70 fended off break points in the first and seventh games, only to hand Cilic the chance to serve it out with a break at 6-5 before giving up another at the start of the third, having received treatment for a right foot injury in the interim.
From there the Portuguese’s resistance faded, Cilic sealing another break before serving out victory in style and saluting the boisterous support from his countrymen in the stands on Hisense.
“You see in the crowd a lot of Croatians around here – it’s a pleasure to play on such a special court,” he said, before weighing up his potential opponents for a place in the fourth round, Ryan Harrison and Pablo Cuevas
“I’ve played Harrison a few times before – he’s a big server,” Cilic added. “Pablo is an amazing shot-maker and an extremely talented player. I have to stay aggressive and serve well.”
On Wednesday’s evidence, it’s a tried and true blueprint.