After failing to go further than the fourth round of the French Open last May, world No. 9 Marin Cilic now has the chance to reach the quarterfinal of Wimbledon when he takes on Denis Kudla later today. Kudla, meanwhile, has defied most experts’ predictions by continuing his run in the tournament.
As the last American man standing at Wimbledon, can Kudla send shockwaves across the tournament with a win over Cilic? Or will Cilic teach Kudla a lesson or two about grass domination?
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Marin Cilic vs. Denis Kudla Betting Preview
Where: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London
[sc:Other240banner ]The deeper he gets in the tournament, the better Cilic has played. That has been the story for the World No. 9 thus far in this year’s edition of Wimbledon, as he continued his run in the tournament with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-7 win over American John Isner in the third round on Sunday.
Against Isner, Cilic displayed yet again his vaunted power and accuracy by scoring 35 aces. It raised his total to 78 aces over his last three matches. Furthermore, Cilic put 72 percent of his first serves into play. To date, Cilic has scored 69 aces on grass surfaces this year, 11th overall in the ATP.
That being said, Cilic must improve on his receiving game. Cilic won just 33% (81/242) of his receiving points against Isner and committed a tournament high 35 unforced errors. Although Kudla’s power game isn’t on the same level as Isner’s, it will be prudent for Cilic to enter the game with a sharpened return game. In three matches so far in the tournament, Cilic has just 10 total return games won.
After seeing his compatriot, Isner, fall at the hands of Cilic, Kudla certainly has all the motivation he can have when he faces the Croatian in the fourth round. Just like his next opponent, Kudla went the full five sets in the third round, where he beat Santiago Giraldo, 6-2, 6-7 (3-7), 2-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Currently ranked 105th in the world, Kudla has used his reliable service game to stay alive in the tournament. Kudla has won at least 77% of his first serves over his last three matches, and has put at least 54% of his first serves into play. Kudla’s aggressiveness has been paying off, too, as he has won 76% or better of his net points in three outings in this tournament.
That kind of aggressiveness may be the key for Kudla, who is staring at a potentially fatigued opponent that has played 10 sets in over eight hours in his last two matches. Perhaps Kudla can also get additional confidence from that fact that Cilic has failed to get past the fourth round in six of his last eight appearances at Wimbledon.
