Cilic in career-best form

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/9/5/635093header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Marin Cilic" border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/9/5/635093header.jpg" title="Marin Cilic" /></a></div> Marin Cilic said he believes he is in career-best form after reaching the US Open semi-finals on Thursday.<br /> <br /> The Croatian 14th seed was too good for Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych in a 6-2 6-4 7-6 (7-4) win at Flushing Meadows in their quarter-final.<br /> <br /> Cilic's last-four appearance marks the second time he has been in a grand slam semi-final – and first since the 2010 Australian Open.<br /> <br /> The 25-year-old said he was at his best in New York, but refused to be satisfied too easily.<br /> <br /> "I feel I'm playing probably the best tennis of my career. I think what helped me also was the consistent play over last five, six months," Cilic said.<br /> <br /> "This year I haven't lost too many matches against guys who are lower ranked than me. That's always very positive.<br /> <br /> "So overall in the game I feel I'm playing well but I'm not getting satisfied too easy. I'm happy, but I still want to do well.<br /> <br /> "I feel that it's still a lot to improve even in some matches. I want to keep going.<br /> <br /> "Now I made it to the semis and it's completely different for me now atmosphere than what I have been in 2010.<br /> <br /> "At that time was maybe a little bit, too shocked for me and I didn't know how to deal with it afterwards. But now I'm, you know, cool and it's going well."<br /> <br /> Cilic said he deserved his semi-final appearance in Melbourne in 2010, but felt he could still improve on his current form.<br /> <br /> "I would say I deserved it at that time, too, to be in [a] semi-final, but I was putting more pressure on myself with the expectations," he said.<br /> <br /> "I wanted to do too well. Like on each match, on each training session, I was looking from my own self for too much.<br /> <br /> "Then after a couple of months everything breaks, so I feel now I'm steadily progressed a lot. I feel like I'm playing well but still I want to, I feel like I can still improve."<br /> <br /> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/skVXHPRz8P4" width="420"></iframe>

Marin Cilic tennis Tomas Berdych US Open Cilic in career-best form

Marin Cilic said he believes he is in career-best form after reaching the US Open semi-finals on Thursday. The Croatian 14th seed was too good for Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych in a 6-2 6-4 7-6 (7-4) win at Flushing Meadows in their quarter-final. …

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Berdych tight-lipped after meltdown

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/9/5/635095header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Tomas Berdych" border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/9/5/635095header.jpg" title="Tomas Berdych" /></a>Tomas Berdych refused to elaborate on his objection to an umpire's call during the third set of his loss to Marin Cilic at the US Open.<br /> <br /> The Czech sixth seed bowed out in the quarter-finals as Cilic posted a 6-2 6-4 7-6 (7-4) victory to advance to his second career grand slam semi-final.<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> However, the former Wimbledon finalist was poised to send the match to a fourth set when he held a 4-2 lead and serving with 30-15, Berdych crumbled when a double-bounce call went against him.</div> <br /> Replays showed chair umpire Louise Engzell made the correct call, but Berdych was furious with the decision - and handed back his break advantage before losing the tie-break.<br /> <br /> He was, however, less keen to discuss the matter post match as he was with Engzell at the time.<br /> <br /> "No, I pretty much said everything, so let's leave it to decide whoever saw it and whoever understands tennis. That's it," Berdych said.<br /> <br /> Berdych did rue his own poor performance, blaming his biggest weapon - his serve, which he landed only 50 per cent of the time on his first ball - for his collapse.<br /> <br /> "I started pretty terribly. It was not the way to start the match like that. Then obviously was really tough to catch up. And really my serve was off," he said.<br /> <br /> "Basically when you have a game built on a serve, then it's really tough and difficult to reschedule it and do it a bit differently.<br /> <br /> "Today was not, definitely not the day I want to have. Yeah, that's it. That's tennis. Just need to carry over and go forward."<br /> <br /> He added: "Yeah, it was [my] serve definitely. I mean, it was horrible from the beginning. That's impossible to play with an opponent like Marin is.<br /> <br /> "Really, I would probably struggle with 80 per cent of other guys if I served that bad like today. That's something what really I need to avoid."<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/skVXHPRz8P4" width="420"></iframe>

Marin Cilic tennis Tomas Berdych US Open Berdych tight-lipped after meltdown

Tomas Berdych refused to elaborate on his objection to an umpire's call during the third set of his loss to Marin Cilic at the US Open. The Czech sixth seed bowed out in the quarter-finals as Cilic posted a 6-2 6-4 7-6 (7-4) victory to advance to his…

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Federer reaches Masters milestone, Berdych beaten

Tomas Berdych was the highest profile casualty at the Western and Southern Open on Wednesday, falling to Lu Yen-Hsun.<br /> <a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/14/599123header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/14/599123header.jpg" /></a><br /> It was the Chinese Taipei man's first win over Berdych in four career meetings, all of which have been played on hard courts.<br /> <br /> Lu prevailed 3-6 6-3 6-4 over the Czech fourth seed at the ATP 1000 event, the world number 43 reversing his loss to Berdych at the Rogers Cup in Toronto earlier in August.<br /> <br /> Other seeds to crash out in Ohio included Grigor Dimitrov (seven), Ernests Gulbis (nine) and Roberto Bautista Agut (13), with big names Roger Federer and Andy Murray safely through to the last 16.<br /> <br /> Swiss second seed Federer won his 300th career match at a Masters-level tournament, when he saw off Canada's Vasek Pospisil 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-2.<br /> <br /> Eighth seed Andy Murray had less trouble getting past Portugal's Joao Sousa, the Briton a 6-3 6-3 winner.<br /> <br /> Canadian fifth seed Milos Raonic downed American wildcard Robby Ginepri 6-2 6-2, while sixth seed David Ferrer of Spain endured an almighty struggle to beat German Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-4).<br /> <br /> Bulgaria's Dimitrov was outgunned by Poland's Jerzy Janowicz 6-4 3-6 6-3, while Latvian Gulbis was no match for American wildcard Steve Johnson 6-4 6-4.<br /> <br /> Frenchman Gael Monfils dumped out Spaniard Bautista Agut 6-4 6-1.<br /> <br /> American number one and 11th seed John Isner progressed with a 6-3 7-6 (7-1) win over Australian qualifier Marinko Matosevic.<br /> <br /> Matosevic's compatriot Lleyton Hewitt joined him in a second-round exit, the veteran beaten by Italian 15th seed Fabio Fognini 6-1 6-4.<br /> <br /> Spanish 16th seed Tommy Robredo dispatched of American wildcard Sam Querrey 6-2 6-4, while Marin Cilic - the 14th seed from Croatia - advanced past Spain's Fernando Verdasco in a break-free contest 7-6 (8-6) 7-6 (7-5).<br /> <br /> France's Julien Benneteau saw off British qualifier James Ward 6-2 6-2, and Russia's Mikhail Youzhny defeated Italy's Andreas Seppi 6-3 6-4.

Lu Yen-Hsun news sports tennis Tomas Berdych Western Federer reaches Masters milestone, Berdych beaten

Tomas Berdych was the highest profile casualty at the Western and Southern Open on Wednesday, falling to Lu Yen-Hsun. It was the Chinese Taipei man's first win over Berdych in four career meetings, all of which have been played on hard courts. Lu pre…

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