US Open 2015: Djokovic vs Cilic SF preview

Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic are featured in one of the semifinal matches at the 2015 US Open. This marks the 14th time in their careers that the two players meet on tour, with Djokovic leading their head-to-head series with a fearsome 13-0 record.

Djokovic survived a dainty task against Feliciano Lopez 6-1 3-6 6-3 7-6(2) to move on to the final four at Flushing Meadows, extending his head-to-head series over the Spaniard 6-0. Djokovic’s winning streak at Flushing Meadows this year was halted by Roberto Bautista Agut in the fourth round. He also lost to Lopez in the quarterfinal, which means that the top seed Serbian had only lost two sets en route to the final four of the grand slam tournament. Djokovic struck 42 aces and 166 winners, with 121 unforced errors in all his matches at Flushing Meadows.

Meanwhile, Cilic persevered in five sets against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4 6-4 3-6 6-7(7) 6-4 in his bid for title defense at the US Open. Cilic ousted the Frenchman in almost four hours of high-quality tennis day nine of the main draw on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Speaking to ESPN after the match, Cilic said that his contest against Tsonga was a big mental battle, especially after losing the fourth set. Still, the Croat is happy to advance in the tournament. Cilic is now two wins away from being a back-to-back US Open champion.

Djokovic holds a formidable 13-0 record against Cilic, who will be looking to put an end to the Serbian’s undefeated streak on his journey to the final two. This is the second time that Djokovic and Cilic play at the hard courts of the US Open. They first played in the third round back in 2008 where Djokovic won 6-7(7) 7-5 6-4 7-6(0).

In all their 13 clashes, Cilic has only won five sets against Djokovic. Their most recent meeting took place in the 2015 Wimbledon quarterfinal.

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