Marin Cilic bounces over Martin Klizan to enter round two – Valencia Open 2012
Seeded seventh in this event, Marin Cilic from Croatia, got the better of the Slovakian star, Martin Klizan, in a three-set thriller at the Valencia Open 2012 on Sunday. He nudged up a 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory against the Bratislava native to power into the second round at this ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour 500 Series event held in Valencia, Spain.
The Croatian seed made a drastic entry at this indoor hard court event. However, he made a fitting reply and eventually carved out the victory in their third meeting. After registering the success in one hour and 47 minutes, Cilic improved to a 3-0 lifetime in the FedEx ATP Head 2 Head Series against the left-handed Slovak.
The world number 30, Klizan thundered into the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències. After Cilic held his opening serve, the Slovak went on a five-game tear and pulled out the opener with a breadstick. He amazingly warded off all five breakpoints he came across and availed two out of three break chances to his advantage.
Cilic re-focused and made a spectacular reply in the following set. He reeled off all six games consecutively and pulled out the equaliser with a bagel. The Croat blocked the lone breakpoint he faced and cashed all three break chances to register this exceptional 6-0 success.
Ranked 14th in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Cilic maintained his intensity in the deciding set. He got the coveted break in the second game and took a 2-0 lead. The Croat failed to block the lone breakpoint he encountered but capitalised on another break chance, eventually clinching the decider with a 6-3 score line.
On the whole, Cilic capitalised on several unforced errors his opponent spilled and despite clobbering a better first up a share of 66 per cent as compared to his rival’s 55, he impressively marked 30 out of 44 points on it. The Croat struck five aces and ended the match with 77 points.
Up next for Cilic is the battle between two local veterans, Fernando Verdasco, and Tommy Robredo.
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