US Open 2019: Rafael Nadal strikes right balance between offence and defence against Marin Cilic to enter quarters

It was Rafael Nadal’s time to cause a stir at the US Open.

The world No 2 had a routine first week, beating Hyeon Chung and John Millman in straight sets and getting a walkover from Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round. Nadal faced a different caliber of player in Marin Cilic in the fourth round. And the Spaniard passed that tough test with flying colours and some sensational shots to script a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory in two hours and 49 minutes on Monday night.

There were some frowns of concerns at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, none more deeply etched than golfing great Tiger Woods’ face, when Nadal dropped the second set. Marin Cilic, who has dropped down to 23 in the world rankings due to injury worry last year, briefly transformed into the player he was in 2014 when he broke out of ranks to win the US Open.

The 6’6 Croat took Nadal head-on, stepping into the court and firing forehand winners with power and precision. With the world No 3 standing almost by the backboards to receive the monster serve, Cilic had all the time to pounce on the Nadal groundstrokes and start dictating play. Even though Nadal came up with a few unbelievable gets, Cilic kept going for the lines, and hitting winners that were even out of the great Nadal’s reach.

The 30-year-old Cilic opened up a 3-1 lead in the second set and survived the Rafa resistance in the very next game to consolidate the break. On Cilic’s next service game, he outdid Nadal in a 15-shot rally, moving the Spaniard from corner to corner and driving him ever so backward in the court before finishing off the point with a superb half-volley cross-court winner. A big, wide serve, which Nadal could only stab long, saw Cilic pocket the second set and bring the match on level terms.

Just how long could he keep it there?

Nadal, who had returned from the break between sets with a spring in his step, was quick to answer that. Right from Cilic’s first service game, Nadal started stepping into the court to receive the second serve. Staying just as solid in defence he started hitting the ball more aggressively, taking some time away from the big Croat.

“For some moments in the second set I felt there were too many points in his hands, he was pushing me back, more aggression than me and he hit every ball very strong,” said the 33-year-old Nadal. “After that second set, I thought something needs to change or I would be in his hands. I started to return the second serve inside the court and that created a different perspective.”

Cilic felt the full wrath of the Nadal show in the fourth game. After defending a couple of deep, heavy groundstrokes from Cilic, the Spaniard had to dash forward and pick up a drop, the resulting Cilic lob was met by a soaring Nadal, who flicked a backhand smash to make it 0-30. On the very next point, he was back scurrying on the baseline and had to stretch for a defensive lob to keep the ball in play. With the whole court to choose from, Cilic decided to send the overhead right back at Nadal. The Spaniard was up to the task, he took the rising ball and dumped a backhand pass cross court. Nadal leapt a few feet into the air, fists pumping to rouse the crowd further. Break point down, a shaken Cilic, bouncing the ball, 10, 11, 12 times, served a double fault to make it 1-3 in the third set.

This is the Nadal the New York crowd had come to see. Tough, relentless, unforgiving. As the adoration for the Spaniard cascaded down from the stands, the size of Cilic’s fight shrunk. The Croat went on to lose seven games on the trot.

Nadal’s surge at the US Open in recent times has been sparked by his much-improved serve. The Spaniard has worked with coach Carlos Moya to flatten and add variety on his first delivery, and it served him well against Cilic. Nadal, who had not been broken in the two matches he’s played so far, lost only one point on his first serve in the third set.

While it was believed that Cilic would be the aggressor on the court, Nadal trumped him in almost all departments. The 2017 champion had more aces than Cilic (11 to 10), more winners (38 to 33) and more points won on first serve (83 percent to 59). The Spaniard had stayed strong in defence, but when prodded, he had looked just as good playing offence.

Even as the match hurtled towards its conclusion in the eighth game of the fourth set, the Spaniard produced another moment of brilliance. He ran along the baseline, picked up a ball well outside the double alley and smacked a forehand winner around the net to bring up match point. The crowd was back on its feet, an animated Woods leading the cheers.

They didn’t have to wait too long to rise in celebration against, as Nadal closed out the match with another forehand winner to enter his 40th Grand Slam quarterfinal.