Croatia’s best singles tennis player Marin Čilić lost in the semi-final of the ATP tournament in Rome to Alexander Zverev with 6-7 (13), 5-7.
The semifinal of the Italian Open was the fifth consecutive loss of Čilić to the third-best player in the world, Alexander Zverev, though he had his chances in both lost sets. The match lasted two hours and one minute, reports Gol.hr on May 19, 2018.
The first set saw a marathon tie-break, which was won by the 21-year-old 15-13. After winning the set, Zverev sought medical attention for shoulder pain, and at the start of the second set, Čilić finally created a break in the first leg. However, Čilić’s good play did not last long, and the German player managed to level for 4-4 and proceeded to take advantage of Marin’s service at 5-6.
The Italian Open semifinal was Čilić’s fourth semifinal at a Masters Series tournament. Because he could not prevail, his opponent Zverev awaits Rafael Nadal in the finals, who had previously triumphed over Novak Djokovic.
More to come.
