Čilić is out of the Cincinnati Masters.
Marin Čilić failed to reach his tenth consecutive win and second final at the Masters 1000 series tournament in Cincinnati, where he lost to the former best tennis player in the world, Novak Djokovic, in the semi-final. Djokovic celebrated with a score of 6:4, 3:6, 6:3 after two hours and 32 minutes of play, reports HRT on August 18, 2018.
Djokovic has advanced to the Cincinnati final six times, the only tournament of the Masters 1000 series he has never won. He lost in the final twice to Andy Murray and three times to Roger Federer, who could be his rival on Sunday if he defeats Belgian player David Goffin in the semi-final.
This was the 17th match between Marin Čilić and Novak Djokovic and the 15th victory for the Serbian tennis player who broke two of Čilić's winning series: his nine consecutive wins in Cincinnati and his two wins in the last two games against Djokovic.
The break in the third game of the first set was enough for the Serbian player to win the first part, although Čilić had two opportunities to come back - one in the sixth game and one when Djokovic served for the set. Čilić played a great second set and came to a 5:1 advantage. He did not use his first service for the set, missed two set points for Djokovic's service, but at 5:3 he left his rival without a point and took the match to the third set.
Djokovic came to his first break in the fourth game of the third set, but Marin returned by taking his service in the next. In the eighth game, however, Djokovic joined several excellent returns and with a handful of Čilić mistakes, bringing him to a new advantage. Čilić’ was unable to come back, and after two hours and 32 minutes of play, Djokovic won the duel.
The Sunday final in Cincinnati will be 101st in Djokovic’s career where he will hunt his 70th title and the 31st trophy at a Masters 1000 series tournament. If he does, he will equalize Čilić in points on the ATP ranking, who in that case will remain in seventh place. If Djokovic does not win the title, Čilić will be the sixth best tennis player in the world on Monday.
