Coach hails Cilic

NEW YORK. – Marin Cilic’s US Open tennis victory could be the first of many Grand Slam titles, says his coach Goran Ivanisevic.
Cilic (25) beat Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to become Croatia’s first major champion since Ivanisevic at Wimbledon in 2001.
“He can win more Grand Slams,” Ivanisevic, who began working with Cilic last year, told BBC Sport.
“It’s unbelievable, it’s amazing. I’m so proud of him, that he was able to play the final like this.”

World No. 16 Cilic completed a superb run at Flushing Meadows that saw him win his last 10 sets, including straight-sets victories over sixth seed Tomas Berdych, five-time champion Roger Federer and 10th seed Nishikori.

He is the lowest-ranked player to win a Grand Slam since Argentina’s Gaston Gaudio won the 2004 French Open as the world No. 44.
Arguably most impressive was the way Cilic kept his nerve and maintained his form against another Grand Slam final debutant in Nishikori, with such a huge prize on offer.

“I said whoever was able to overcome the nerves is going to win the tournament and that’s what happened,” said Ivanisevic.
“After the first couple of games there was only one player on the court and that was Marin. Nishikori could not cope with him in any aspect of tennis.

“The last 10 sets were the 10 best sets of his life. After this, he doesn’t need to play any more sets!”
Cilic did not play at last year’s US Open because he was serving a ban, reduced on appeal to four months, for taking a banned stimulant.

The player claimed he did so inadvertently, but during his absence from the game he teamed up Ivanisevic and began working to improve his serve and his forehand in particular.

“This is his second chance,” said Ivanisevic. “He took it, he deserves it and now anything can happen. This guy, when he plays like this – this is real tennis.
“It was not an easy year and it came in the perfect, perfect moment. From this he can only go up and up. His life is never going to be the same again.

“He’s the nicest guy and deserves it. And as a coach – now I can resign! I won a Grand Slam as a coach.” – BBC Sport.