Marin Cilic cripples Fernando Verdasco to enter quarters – Valencia Open 2012
Seventh seed, Marin Cilic, got the better of the former world number seven, Fernando Verdasco, with a breadstick at the Valencia Open 2012 on Wednesday. He nudged up a 6-1, 6-4 victory against the world number 24 to charge into the quarter-finals at the
Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències in Valencia, Spain.
The Croatian top ranked star showed exceptional skills and abilities to outclass Verdasco in their eighth meeting. After earning the glory in one hour and 17 minutes, Cilic not only levelled the FedEx ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Head 2 Head
Series by 4-4 against the 28-year-old but also booked a place in the final eight at this indoor hard court event taking place from 20th to 28th October.
Cilic made quick in-roads at this ATP World Tour 500 Series event. After Verdasco plucked his serve in the second game, the Croat went berserk and stroke out the proceeding five games in a row. He was never challenged with any breakpoint and cashed half
of the four break opportunities to pull out the opener with a breadstick.
Ranked 14th in the South African Airways ATP World Tour Rankings, Cilic maintained consistency in his game in the following set. He got the crucial break in the opening game and jumped to a 2-0 lead. Apart from squandering his edge in the fourth
game, the Croat broke his rival’s serve again in the very next game and jumped to a 4-2 lead. He kept his remaining serves with self-assurance and clinched the set with a 6-4 score line. Cilic blocked one out of two breakpoints he came across and capitalised
on two out of three break chances to prevail.
Cilic will square off against his qualifying compatriot, Ivan Dodig, who stomped over the former world number one, Lleyton Hewitt, in a three-set thriller to set up this date. Dodig dropped his serve twice but availed five out of eight break chances to formulate
a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 success. He struck 10 aces and finished the deal in two hours and three minutes. The 27-year-old also produced a better first serve share and amazingly marked 35 out of 45 points on it.
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