Watch highlights of ATP Sunday, featuring Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori, Kevin Anderson and Jeremy Chardy in the build up to the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships.
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Stars Aligned in Beijing, Tokyo – The Asian circuit on the ATP World Tour continues with 500 level tournaments with the China Open 2015 in Beijing and the Rakuten Japan Open in Tokyo. They are two of the 13 ATP World Tour 500 events. Between both tournaments, 40 of the Top 45 players in this week’s Emirates ATP Rankings are in action. In Beijing, World No. 1 and five–time champion Novak Djokovic and No. 5/2011 winner Tomas Berdych are the top two seeds. In Tokyo, Stan Wawrinka and reigning champion, local favorite Kei Nishikori, who are the top two seeds and 4th and 6th, respectively, in the Emirates ATP Race to London.
Emirates ATP Race to London – 13 of the Top 15 players in the Emirates ATP Race to London for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals are in action. Top four have qualified. There are four spots remaining to the season finale and 500 points to the champion at stake. Here are the points leaders on Sunday:
|
Position |
Player |
Points |
|
1-Q |
Novak Djokovic – Beijing |
12,785 |
|
2-Q |
Andy Murray |
7,370 |
|
3-Q |
Roger Federer |
6,725 |
|
4-Q |
Stan Wawrinka – Tokyo |
5,500 |
|
5 |
Tomas Berdych –Beijing (in Shenzhen F) |
3,940 |
|
6 |
Kei Nishikori – Tokyo |
3,765 |
|
7 |
Rafael Nadal – Beijing |
3,715 |
|
8 |
David Ferrer – Beijing (won KL) |
3,255 |
|
9 |
Richard Gasquet – Tokyo |
2,355 |
|
10 |
Kevin Anderson – Tokyo |
2,205 |
|
11 |
John Isner – Beijing |
2,180 |
|
12 |
Milos Raonic – Beijing |
2,080 |
|
13 |
Marin Cilic – Tokyo |
2,055 |
|
14 |
Gilles Simon – Tokyo |
1,920 |
|
15 |
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – Beijing |
1,900 |
China Open (Beijing) -The China Open 2015 features an outstanding field with 10 of the Top 20 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, led by World No. 1 and five-time Beijing champion Novak Djokovic and No. 2 seed/2011 winner Tomas Berdych, who met in last year’s final. Djokovic won 6-0, 6-2. The other seeds are: No. 3/’05 champ Rafael Nadal, No. 4 David Ferrer, No. 5 Milos Raonic, No. 6 John Isner, No. 7 David Goffin and No. 8 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Raonic and Goffin are making their debut. Djokovic, Nadal and Berdych are the former champions in the field.
Reigning Champ/World No. 1 – Djokovic returns to the China Open for the sixth time and the five-time champion is looking to maintain his unbeaten record (24-0). He’s only dropped three sets (to left-handers Verdasco twice, Berrer) in 51 sets played. He has won the title in 2009-10, 2012-14. Djokovic comes in with a 63-5 match record (40-4 on hard) on the season with seven titles: Australian Open, ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, Rome, Wimbledon and US Open. This is Djokovic’s first tournament since capturing his 10th Grand Slam title at the US Open on Sept. 13 (d. Federer). This is the 167th week overall he has ranked No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, which is sixth-most. He will surpass No. 5 John McEnroe’s total of 170 on Nov. 2. He will finish No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings for the fourth time in five years (except ’13). Here are the other players to win at least their first 20 matches in a tournament in the last 40 years:
Rafael Nadal started 31-0 at Roland Garros between 2005 & 2009. He is now 70-2.
Jimmy Connors went 26-0 at Birmingham, Alabama between 1974 & 1980.
Mats Wilander started 23-0 at Barcelona between 1982 & 1985, finished 27-3.
John McEnroe started 23-0 at Milan between 1979 & 1989, finished 26-2.
John McEnroe started 22-0 at Sydney Indoor between 1980 & 1992, finished 22-1.
Novak in China – Djokovic comes into Beijing having won 28 of his last 29 matches in China, winning consecutive titles in Beijing and Shanghai in 2012-13 and Beijing last year. His 28-match winning streak in China ended last year when he lost to Federer in the semi-finals in Shanghai. Overall, he has won eight career titles in China (five in Beijing, three in Shanghai). He has never lost in the Beijing Open (24-0) and is 19-3 at the Shanghai Rolex Masters (since 2009). The only country in which he’s won more titles is the U.S. (11).
Rafa Returns – Nadal is making his third straight appearance in Beijing and fifth overall. Nadal is 14-3 in Beijing, winning the title in his debut in 2005 (d. Coria) and reaching the final in ’13 (l. to Djokovic), semi-finals in 2009 (l. to Cilic) and quarter-finals last year (l. to Klizan). Nadal has a 45-15 match record on the season, including 14-7 on hard courts and 26-6 on clay. He has won three ATP World Tour titles (Buenos Aires, Stuttgart, Hamburg) and final at ATP Masters 1000 Madrid. His streak of 10 consecutive years with at least one Grand Slam crown came to an end this season. His best Slam results were quarter-finals at Australian Open and Roland Garros.
Ivo Eyes Aces Record – Ivo Karlovic, who is making his fourth tournament appearance in Beijing (1-3), is closing in on the all-time ATP World Tour aces record (since 1991), currently held by countryman Goran Ivanisevic, who hit 10,237 aces in his career. Karlovic comes into Kuala Lumpur trailing by 35 with 10,202. These figures don’t include Davis Cup matches. Karlovic leads the ATP World Tour this season with 1,207 aces, the fourth year he’s surpassed 1,000 in a campaign.
Milos Makes Debut – Raonic is making his Beijing debut after a successful five-year stretch in Tokyo where he compiled a 14-5 match record and reached the final the last three years (l. to Nishikori in 2012, 2014, del Potro in 2013). The 24-year-old Canadian is coming off his seventh career ATP World Tour title in St. Petersburg (d. Sousa) on Sept. 27. Raonic moved up a spot to No. 12 in the Emirates ATP Race to London and he’s trying to qualify for the second straight year in the season finale.
Doubles Draw Highlights – Top seeds and defending champions Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau lead a strong doubles field, which features four of the Top 10 teams. Rojer/Tecau, the reigning Wimbledon champions, are No. 2 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Team Rankings and they have clinched a spot for the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London. Djokovic received a wild card entered with brother Djordje and they are playing together for the first time in an ATP World Tour tournament. Novak teamed with his other brother Marko in five ATP tournaments (0-5). Nadal, who won his ninth career ATP World Tour doubles title in Doha (w/Monaco), is entered with countryman Feliciano Lopez. Other Top 15 teams are: No. 6 Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini, the Australian Open champions, No. 7 Marcin Matkowski and Nenad Zimonjic and No. 10 Vasek Pospisil and Jack Sock, last year’s Wimbledon champs. They play Bolelli/Fognini in the first round. No. 13 Daniel Nestor and Edouard Roger-Vasselin are trying to make a late season charge for London. They are 11-2 since teaming together for the first time in August, reaching the final in Montreal and winning the title in Cincinnati.
Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships (Tokyo) -The longest running tournament in Asia on the ATP World Tour, which began in 1972, is led for the second straight year by top seed and World No. 4 Stan Wawrinka The other seeds are: No. 2/two-time champion Kei Nishikori, No. 3 Gilles Simon, No. 4 Richard Gasquet, No. 5 Kevin Anderson, No. 6 Marin Cilic, No. 7 Feliciano Lopez and No. 8 Grigor Dimitrov. Nishikori is the only former winner in the draw. Gasquet was runner-up in 2007 (l. to Ferrer).
Stan Top Seed – Wawrinka is playing in Tokyo for the fourth time (4-3) and last year he was upset by local wild card Tatsuma Ito in the first round. They could meet in the second round if both players win their opening matches. In his previous two visits in 2009 and 2012, he reached the QF. The 30-year-old Swiss has already qualified for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London. He enters with a 43-13 match record on the season (25-7 on hard) with three titles (Chennai, Rotterdam, Roland Garros). Six of his 10 career titles have come in 2014-15 after winning four between 2006-13. The Swiss is one of two players (Djokovic) to reach the quarter-finals or better at all four Grand Slam tournaments this season.
Kei Back Home – Nishikori is making his eighth tournament appearance (14-5 record). In 2012, he became the first Japanese player to win the Japan Open title and last year he beat Raonic for the second time in the final. He opens against talented Croat teenager Borna Coric in the first round. The 25-year-old Japanese star, is putting together another outstanding season with three titles in four finals. He reached a career-high No. 4 in the Emirates ATP Rankings on 2 March and he is No. 6 coming into Tokyo. He has compiled a 48-11 match record (29-7 on hard). Nishikori, who is 6th in the Emirates ATP Race to London, is trying to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for the second straight year (SF in ’14). Coach Michael Chang compiled a 21-12 record in the Japan Open, reaching the final in 1994 (l. to Sampras) and semi-finals in 1991-92 and 1995.
Cilic Makes Return – Cilic is playing in Tokyo for the first time since a second-round exit in 2007. Last year’s US Open champion made a solid attempt to defend his title, falling in the semi-finals to eventual champion Djokovic. The 27-year-old Croat was appearing in the semi-finals in Shenzhen on Sunday (vs. Garcia-Lopez). He was sidelined until early March with a right shoulder injury and after a 4-6 start, he has compiled a 21-9 match record from the beginning of Roland Garros.
His best results are semi-finals in Stuttgart, Washington, US Open and Shenzhen along with quarter-finals for second year in a row at Wimbledon. His last ATP World Tour title came in Moscow on 19 October, 2014.
Bryans Lead Doubles Draw – Bob and Mike Bryan are appearing in Tokyo for the third straight year and they are looking for their first win (0-2) after back-to-back first-round losses. The Bryans are playing in their first tournament since a rare first-round exit at the US Open (l. to Johnson/Querrey). Five of the Top 15 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Team Rankings are in the draw, including No. 5 and US Open champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut. They are the No. 2 seeds. Other Top 15 teams include: No. 9 Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares, No. 11 Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah (play Bryans in 1R) and No. 15 Feliciano Lopez and Max Mirnyi.
Birthdays
5 October – Federico Delbonis (25), Blaz Rola (25)
7 October – Sam Querrey (28)
8 October – Simone Bolelli (30)
In Case You Missed It
At the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur, David Ferrer overcame compatriot Feliciano Lopez to claim his 25th ATP World Tour title. Read
A Monday final will be necessary at the rain-delayed Shenzhen Open. Tomas Berdych will take on Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Read
Jonathan Erlich and Colin Fleming pull double duty to claim the Shenzhen doubles title. Read
No. 2 seeds Treat Huey and Henri Kontinen earned their second title in two weeks by winning in Kuala Lumpur. Read
Jonathan Erlich and Colin Fleming survived the ultimate test on Sunday at the Shenzhen Open, winning their first team title amidst torrential rain and a move indoors.
A typhoon in southern China forced Erlich and Fleming to play both their semi-final and final matches on Sunday. The Israeli-British duo defeated Mao-Xin Gong and Michael Venus 6-2, 6-4 in 67 minutes, before downing Chris Guccione and Andre Sa 6-1, 6-7(3), 10-6 for the title.
The title match, which was moved indoors, lasted 81 minutes and saw Erlich and Fleming convert on three of five break chances. They split $33,600 in prize money as well as 250 Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings Points.
“We had a lot of fun at a great event,” 38-year-old Erlich said. “The hotel and venue are great. I’m happy we could play very solid throughout the week and I’m very happy for the title. The last few years I made some finals but could never go all the way. I’m happy it finally came.”
Individually, Erlich captured his 18th ATP World Tour crown in his 35th final. Victory was sweet for the Israeli, who won his first title since the 2012 Serbia Open in Belgrade. Fleming staked claim to his eighth title, having finished runner-up in Marseille earlier this year with Jonathan Marray, as well as in Atlanta with Gilles Muller. It was his first title in two years.
“I’m delighted to win another title,” said Fleming. “I didn’t expect it, but Jonathan and I played great tennis this week and I’m so happy to get over the line after a tough two matches today. It’s been a great week here at a great tournament in Shenzhen.”
Guccione and Sa were bidding to hoist their second trophy together, following success in Nottingham in June. The Aussie fell to 4-4 in ATP World Tour finals, while the Brazilian dropped to 10-16. They take home $17,660 and 150 Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings Points for their efforts.
Top seed David Ferrer defeated countryman and No. 2 seed Feliciano Lopez 7-5, 7-5 to win the 2015 Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur, becoming the first Spaniard to take the title in the Asian metropolis. He earned $170,600 and 250 ranking points toward the Emirates ATP Race To London, while Lopez will get $89,840 and 150 points.
The 33 year old is now a perfect 4-0 in finals this year, and was thrilled to find his way back to the winner’s circle after an injury-marred summer.
“I feel very happy, because I have never played so well at this tournament,” said Ferrer during the post-match on-court interview. “I played my best match of the week in this final, and my sensations after my elbow injury are now very good.”
Ferrer now holds a sterling 44-10 record in 2015, and is on track to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for a sixth straight year; a significant achievement considering he missed three months of action in the heart of the season with an elbow injury
The Javea native made his return at the US Open, advancing to the third round before falling to Jeremy Chardy. Since Flushing Meadows, Ferrer has won six consecutive matches while dropping just one set (v. Becker in Kuala Lumpur SFs).
In his 50th tour-level final (25-25), Ferrer broke serve in the 12th game of both sets to improve his FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Lopez to 9-6. The final was the fourth all-countryman final on the ATP World Tour this year.
“Feliciano is a good tennis player, but an even better person,” said Ferrer, who earlier in the week had visited sick kids in a local hospital alongside his friend and occasional rival. “I wish him all the best for the rest of the season.”
Heavy rain at the Shenzhen Open forced competitors back to the locker room on Sunday.
Top seed Tomas Berdych was leading last year’s runner-up Tommy Robredo, the third seed, 6-1, 3-3, deuce, when rain stopped played after 56 minutes of action. Berdych is looking for a spot in his fourth ATP World Tour final of the year. It is their 11th FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting, with the Czech leading 6-4. Runner-up earlier this year in Bastad, third seed Robredo is seeking a 24th ATP World Tour final.
On Court 1, fourth seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez leads second seed Marin Cilic had a 1-6, 7-5, 1-0, deuce against second seed Marin Cilic after two hours of play. Cilic is attempting to reach his first title match since the 2014 Kremlin Cup in Moscow (d. Bautista Agut). It is their fourth encounter and second of the year, with Garcia-Lopez improving to 2-1 with a straight-sets victory in Rome. The Spaniard is bidding to reach a ninth ATP World Tour final, while Cilic is eyeing his 23rd.
Both semi-finals were carried over from Saturday due to a typhoon in the region.
Kei Nishikori, who defeated Milos Raonic last year to win the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2014, will open against young gun Borna Coric in Tokyo. The 25 year old from Shimane is looking to cement his place at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Nishikori currently has 3770 Emirates ATP Race To London points, good for sixth overall.
The 18 year old Coric is in the midst of a breakout season. The Croat is currently No. 38, and was ranked as high as No. 33 in July of this year. The players have never faced each other at tour-level, and Coric’s last win over a Top-10 player came in February against Andy Murray (Dubai QF).
In the top half, No. 1 seed Stan Wawrinka begins his Tokyo campaign against veteran Radek Stepanek. Stepanek, who has battled injury in the past year, has only managed to take part in 11 tour-level matches in 2015 (8-3). This would be an opportune moment for Wawrinka to get a second win over the Czech in six meetings, as he is trying to add to his 5505 Emirates ATP Race To London points (4th) heading into the final months of the season.
An intriguing first-round matchup is the one pitting eighth seed Grigor Dimitrov and unseeded Benoit Paire. A comparison of the players’ Emirates ATP Rankings and year-to-date records favours the 24 year-old Bulgarian (19th, 27-17), but Paire (32nd, 19-14) won their first FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup in the first round of the 2012 US Open, then pushed Dimitrov to three sets in Stockholm 2013 before succumbing.
Novak Djokovic will head into the China Open with confidence, having won the title an unprecedented five times (2009, 2010, 2012-14) and having already booked his place at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The Serb is 24-0 at the tournament, beating Marin Cilic in 2009, David Ferrer in 2010, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2012, Rafael Nadal in 2013 and Tomas Berdych, this year’s No.2 seed, for last year’s title.
The top seed opens against a qualifier, and could face big-serving John Isner or young gun Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals. The sixth-seeded American and the Austrian are set to duel in a blockbuster first-round encounter.
On the opposite side of the draw, Rafael Nadal, the 2005 champion (d. Coria) and 2013 runner-up (l. to Djokovic), will face Chinese wild card Di Wu in the first round. The World No. 7, seeded third in Beijing, is 45-15 on the year, and is chasing his 54th tour-level title.
Second seed Tomas Berdych will take on Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas in his opening match. Berdych is fifth in the Emirates ATP Race To London with 3850 points. Berdych, Nadal (7th, 3715 points) and David Ferrer (8th, 3005 points) are well-positioned to secure one of the four remaining spots at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Milos Raonic (who plays Viktor Troicki in the first round) and Isner are on the outside looking in, but could make up ground with deep runs in Beijing.
Ivo Karlovic could break countryman Goran Ivanisevic’s all-time ace record during the China Open. The 6’11” Karlovic is 35 aces back and will open against Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.
Wild cards looking to make a dent in the draw include China’s Di Wu and Ze Zhang, as well as Chinese Taipei’s Yen-Hsun Lu.
Seventh seed Nick Kyrgios won the clutch points as he edged third seed Ivo Karlovic 7-6(4), 7-6(2) on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur.
Both players won 75 per cent of their service points and saved the three break points they created between them, but it was Kyrgios who won the decisive points in the tie-breaks to seal victory in 85 minutes.
“It feels really good to be in the semi-finals,” said Kyrgios. “I knew today was going to be tough. I thought he served really well, but I thought I also served really well and looked after my serve. It was a fun match as well; it was really good. I thought I stayed composed and today was a really good performance.”
Thirteen aces from Karlovic sees him close the gap to 35 on Goran Ivanisevic’s all-time record of 10,237 (stats kept since 1991). The 36-year-old Croat was contesting his ninth ATP World Tour quarter-final of the season and is the oldest player in the Top 20 since 37-year-old Jimmy Connors in February 1990.
The 20-year-old Kyrgios, whose mother is Malaysian, is bidding to reach his second final of the season after finishing runner-up to Richard Gasquet in his first ATP World Tour final in Estoril in April.
The Australian goes on to face second seed Feliciano Lopez, who battled past eighth seed Vasek Pospisil 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-2 in two hours. The Spaniard won 73 per cent of his service points and broke Pospisil four times as he beat the Canadian for the second time.
“I think I played a great match,” said Lopez. “I think I improved my game from my first match yesterday. Even though I lost the first set, I was getting better and better as the match went on. I’m very happy.”
The 34-year-old Lopez is looking to reach his second ATP World Tour final of the year (l. to Estrella Burgos in Quito) and has a 1-0 lead over Kyrgios in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, beating the Canberra native in Rome earlier this year.
“Against Nick it’s going to be tough,” said Lopez. “He is an aggressive player. I have to be aware of that and try to be aggressive on the court and put some pressure on him. Hopefully I will have my chances. It’s an exciting match to play against one of the young guns on the tour.”
Top seed David Ferrer reached the semi-finals of this ATP World Tour 250 hard court tournament for the third time as he defeated Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3, 6-4 in 70 minutes. The Spaniard broke serve once in each set and won 71 per cent of his service points to notch his 42nd win of the season.
Currently eighth in the Emirates ATP Race To London, Ferrer is looking to step up his bid to claim one of the four remaining places at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The 33-year-old Ferrer is hoping to make his seventh appearance at the season finale, to be held at The O2 in London from 15-22 November.
Ferrer is attempting to win his fourth ATP World Tour title of the season this week, adding to victories in Doha, Rio de Janeiro and Acapulco, and goes on to face Benjamin Becker in the semi-finals.
“He’s had a very good week, winning against two of the top players — Chardy and Dimitrov,” said Ferrer of his semi-final opponent. “It’s going to be tough for sure. I will have to play consistent.”
The 34-year-old Becker is having his best week of the season, having come into Kuala Lumpur only having won back-to-back matches twice in 2015. He is now through to the semi-finals after upsetting fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 7-6(3).
In his opening match, top seed David Ferrer bested Radek Stepanek 7-5, 6-3 on Thursday to move into the quarter-finals of the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur. Ferrer, who received a first-round bye, went 5-for-8 on break chances and closed out the win in 93 minutes.
The World No. 8 improved to 41-10 on the season with the win, and is well-positioned to book his seventh trip to the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. With 3,005 Emirates ATP Race To London points, Ferrer is 710 points behind No. 7 Rafael Nadal and 650 points ahead of No. 9 Richard Gasquet, neither of whom are playing this week.
In the quarter-finals, the 33 year old will face Mikhail Kukushkin. The Spaniard holds a 5-0 lead in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.
“This first match wasn’t easy,” said Ferrer. “I was feeling the jet lag a little bit, but it was the same for Radek. Now I will try to improve my game for tomorrow. Every match is different, and Kukushkin is a good player. He is having a very good year.”
Eighth seed Vasek Pospisil reached his third tour-level quarter-final of the season as he battled past Marcos Baghdatis 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-3.
The Canadian struck 11 aces and won one point more than Baghdatis as he claimed his 20th win of the season in two hours and 28 minutes. Baghdatis was bidding to reach the Kuala Lumpur final for the second time this week, having finished runner-up in 2011 (l. to Tipsarevic).
“I didn’t really have a strategy,” said Pospisil, who struggled with cramp towards the end of the match. “I was just trying to stand on the court, be able to play the points and try to win. When I saw the ball I just tried to hit it hard and keep the points short. I played well, but I was just trying to get through my service games somehow. I was fortunate for sure to have won that.”
The 25-year-old Pospisil, who reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final at Wimbledon earlier this year (l. to Murray), goes on to face second seed Feliciano Lopez.
The Spaniard survived a late fightback from qualifier Mischa Zverev to prevail 6-3, 7-6(4) in 90 minutes. Lopez was broken as he served for the match at 5-4 in the second set, but regrouped to win the subsequent tie-break.
Lopez leads his FedEx ATP Head2Head series with Pospisil 1-0, having beaten the Canadian in their one previous meeting at the 2011 US Open. The left-hander has a 28-21 match record on the season, and is playing his first tournament since reaching the US Open quarter-finals (l. to Djokovic).
Grigor Dimitrov rallied to defeat Joao Sousa 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in two hours and seven minutes to advance to the quarter-finals. The No. 4 seed was down 2-4 in the final set before sweeping the next four games to set up a meeting with Benjamin Becker. With the win, Dimitrov improved his 2015 tour-level record to 28-17 and evened the pair’s FedEx ATP Head2Head series at 1-1.
Marin Cilic, seeded second, needed nearly two hours to defeat John Millman 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 and advance to the quarter-finals of the Shenzhen Open on Thursday. The 2014 US Open champion improved to 24-14 in 2015 and remains in contention for a first ATP World Tour title since winning in Moscow a year ago (d. Bautista Agut).
Cilic controlled the first set, sweeping all 13 first-serve points and breaking his Australian opponent twice in as many opportunities. Millman improved his first serve percentage from 57 per cent to 67 per cent in the second set and converted on his lone break point to push the match to a decider.
“I was generally happy with my performance in the first set,” said Cilic. “In the first game of the second set, he hit good returns. Then he served really well after that. It was not easy to get back in the match. The conditions are really humid, so you have to be prepared. It’s more demanding physically, but I served well and that helped me get some free points at critical moments.”
The Croat, No. 14 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, struck six of his 12 total aces in the final set, and converted on his first match point to take the pair’s initial FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting.
Next up for Cilic is Korean Hyeon Chung, who needed just 56 minutes to down Aljaz Bedene, 6-2, 6-0 to reach his first ATP World Tour quarter-final. The 19 year old went 6-for-8 on break points and earned his 10th tour-level win of the season (10-9). Currently World No. 58, Chung is aiming to reach No. 35 and become the highest-ranked male player in history from South Korea.
Cilic leads the rivalry 1-0, having defeated Chung 7-6(2), 6-3 in Washington two months ago.
In what has been the best season of his career, fifth seed Adrian Mannarino reached his sixth ATP World Tour quarter-final as he defeated Chinese wild card Yan Bai 7-5, 7-6(7).
The 27-year-old Frenchman reached a career-high No. 27 in the Emirates ATP Rankings in July, in a year that has seen him reach his first ATP World Tour finals in Auckland (l. to Vesely) and Bogota (l. to Tomic).
Mannarino notched his 27th win of 2015 as he edged the No. 266-ranked Bai in one hour and 50 minutes. The left-hander converted three of his seven break points as he denied Bai a place in his first ATP World Tour quarter-final.
Mannarino goes on to face fourth seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, who dismissed Lukas Rosol 6-4, 6-3 in 76 minutes. The Spaniard, who improved to a 27-19 match record on the season, is chasing his third ATP World Tour title of the season this week to add to triumphs in Zagreb (d. Seppi) and Bucharest (d. Vesely).