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PILOT PEN TENNIS PRESENTED BY SCHICK


August 22, 2008


Marin Cilic


NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

M. CILIC/L. Gregorc
6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please, for Marin Cilic, who is appearing in his first career ATP final.

Q. First ATP final. What do you think?
MARIN CILIC: It's great. The beginning of the week wasn't that great. Well, actually with Troicki, he retired, then I had really tough match with Melzer. Got through with that. After that, I was feeling very well, playing very good from all around the game.
So it was quite a good last two matches.

Q. Talk about your emotions when you were going to the net, knowing you were going to your first final?
MARIN CILIC: Well, I knew that I had to be a little bit pumped up, not to go too much down. I mean, it's important match. I can't get anything past me, like a few points. So I was really paying attention to every point during the match and I knew that I had to start really well, that he's not that like introduced with the big occasions and big matches. So I knew I had a chance there. I use it quite wisely and very well in the end.

Q. Did you get a little bit nervous when you served for the match at the end?
MARIN CILIC: Not actually. He played really good return game, then I got my thoughts back in the next game and I broke him, so... I didn't really got too nervous.

Q. Are you about where you thought you would be in terms of your career, making a final at this point? Are you ahead of schedule? Behind schedule?
MARIN CILIC: Well, beginning of the season I played really well. I got to 39 in the world. Then I was thinking that I could really go up week after week. But I had little bit tougher opponents in next like two months, then I dropped a little bit.
But in Wimbledon and Toronto I got my self-confidence back and started to play really well. On the beginning of the year, my like secret goal was to reach first ATP Final, and I'm really glad that I did it.

Q. You're going to break top 25. How important is it to you?
MARIN CILIC: Well, it feels great. I mean, I didn't expect that I'm gonna rise so much, especially that just before Wimbledon I was 57 in the world, and I jumped really fast. So it's pretty good feeling.

Q. What did you start the season ranked?
MARIN CILIC: 71.

Q. What are your thoughts playing Mardy, the American with some support here?
MARIN CILIC: Well, he had also quite good week, beat some good players. I watch him today, his match, a little bit. He was playing his game, serving pretty good. Tomorrow I have to be focused of course every point, also to be a little bit pumped up. That's going to help me to be there for every point in the match.

Q. Seems to be all the 19-year-olds at the moment are doing well, you, Del Potro, Gulbis. Are you all urging each other on?
MARIN CILIC: I don't know. I mean, I would say that we are quite good generation. All three of us have a pretty good game. We are all pretty tall and serving quite good. So I think, well, beginning of the season, as it's usual for young players, we are not as consistent. But as we gonna get older, I think we gonna be quite good in tennis.

Q. Have you talked to them about it, how they're doing?
MARIN CILIC: No, not really.

Q. What would you describe as your favorite surface?
MARIN CILIC: Well, I like to play on all surfaces. I grew up also on clay. We played half a season on clay, half a season indoors. I like it also to play on clay. But, well, for me it's going to be my best surface obviously hard courts and grass 'cause of my height and my way of the game, so... I'm going to try to build up my game like that in that direction.

End of FastScripts




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