The first men’s singles semi final was played on Night Eleven on RLA, and it was a contest between Marin Cilic (6) and surprise semi finalist Kyle Edmund. Edmund was unseeded.
Cilic opened badly, down two break points, but three successive service winners had him at game point and he eventually held serve.
Edmund’s first effort was a double fault, however four errors on Cilic’s backhand donated the game to Kyle. 1-1.
2-2 came for the loss of just 3 points between the pair.
A love game from Cilic was followed by the Croatian breaking Edmund through forcing errors off the UK racquet.
5-2 with another Cilic hold and Edmund was serving to stay in the set.
A loose Edmund forehand at 30-30 and it was set point.
A Cilic forehand winner closed the set 6-2 Croatia’s way.
Set two began with both players serving love games, and both including an ace and a winning forehand in those games. 1-1.
An ace and forehand winner did the trick again for Cilic and he led 2-1.
Edmund saved a break point with an ace and levelled at 2-2.
Cilic won a service game for 3-2, and Edmund hit two aces and two clean winners in a love game. 3-3.
Only six more points were lost on serve before Edmund came to the line to deliver at 5-6.
At 40-15, Cilic hit two forehand winners, but deuce didn’t worry Edmund and a tie break followed.
Points were on serve until a forehand error on the seventh point from Edmund gave Cilic a 4-3 edge.
The sixth seed took the advantage and at 6-3 had 3 set points.
One was saved on the Edmund serve but a backhand winner from Croatia won the set 7-6(4).
Cilic led 6-2 7-6(4).
Cilic broke Edmund in the third game of the third set, after the two had exchanged easy service games.
Cilic 2-1.
Four game points were kicked away by Edmund before Cilic finally consolidated the break for 3-1
A double fault presented Cilic with a break chance but it was saved and Edmund won the game for 2-3.
Cilic followed up quickly with a love game. 4-2.
One break point was saved by Edmund and three game points were used and wasted by the UK. Cilic created a second break point with a winning forehand. It was converted and Cilic led 5-2.
An ace and a forehand winner helped set up 2 match points.
Only one was necessary and Cilic won:
6-2 7-6(4) 6-2.
Marin Cilic (6) won into his, and Croatia’s, first Aus Open final.
He will play either Roger Federer (2) or Hyeon Chung.
Kyle Edmund played a fine tournament, his excellent win over third seed Grigor Dimitrov the highlight.
His ranking will improve to 26 from 49, a new career high (previously 40).
Cilic moves to his career high of 3.
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