Marin Cilic’s bid for a second-consecutive US Open crown remains right on track after defeating Jeremy Chardy in the fourth round on Sunday. The defending champion will look to book a place in the semifinals this coming Tuesday when he takes on the ever-dangerous Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this quarterfinal matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the last-eight clash between Novak Djokovic and Feliciano Lopez.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga secured his second US Open quarterfinal with a comprehensive 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 win over Benoit Paire on Sunday. It was a fantastic performance from the Frenchman, who needed just one hour and 42 minutes to record the straight-sets win.
[sc:Other240banner ]Tsonga, who improved to 3-0 against Paire, blasted 29 winners and committed just 18 unforced errors. What proved to be the difference in the contest, though, was his excellent serve. Tsonga put into play 59 percent (44-of-74) of his first serves and winning 89 percent (39-of-44) of those points.
Next up for Tsonga is a last-eight clash with Marin Cilic. The 30-year-old will have his work cut out for him against the defending champion, as he has lost four of his seven previous matches against Cilic. This will be their first meeting, though, in a Grand Slam tournament.
For Tsonga to level his head-to-head series against Cilic, he needs to bring his aggressive style and continue his strong net play in the quarterfinals. He won 21 of his 27 net points against Paire in the previous round. The Frenchman has won 73 percent (87-of-119) of his total net points in the entire tournament thus far.
Marin Cilic barged into the quarterfinals of the US Open with a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-1 win over Jeremy Chardy on Sunday. It was a spirited performance from the 26-year-old, who needed two hours and 26 minutes to record the four-set victory. Cilic has now extended his winning streak in this tournament to 11 matches.
Key to Cilic’s win was his highly-efficient play. He hammered-in 52 total winners and committed just 23 unforced errors. He also found some success in his occasional forays to the net, winning 12 of his 17 points there. With the victory, Cilic is through to the last eight at the US Open for the fourth time in his career.
Next up for Cilic is a quarterfinal showdown with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The defending champion will fancy his chances against the 19th-seeded Frenchman, as he has won four of his five previous matches against Tsonga in the ATP Tour. Cilic won their most recent meeting in Monte Carlo earlier this year, beating Tsonga in the round of 16 in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6 (5).
For Cilic to extend his dominance against Tsonga this coming Tuesday, he needs to continue his excellent play on the service end. He won 84 percent of his first serve points against Chardy in the previous match and drilled-in 23 aces in his fourth-round encounter with Chardy.
Cilic is 6-4 in his last 10 matches.
Writer’s Prediction
Tsonga (-145) edges past Cilic in a five-set thriller.
