US Open Men's Final- Preview

Wow! Who expected that?! It's a Nishikori vs Cilic US Open final! 

For the first time in 12 years, a top 10 ranked player will not be in the final of a grand slam, and for the first time since 2005, a member of the big four will not be in the final. 

Some crazy stats, but these two have certainly deserved this opportunity. They both knocked out the top seeds in the semis. Nishikori beat Djokovic in 4 sets, and Cilic charged through Federer in 3. Both the semi finals were shocking, but highly entertaining.

It's not often that we see something like this. Also, the answer is yes, Nadal fans are very happy!

Kei came into the semi finals with tough wins, beating players such as Raonic and Wawrinka. He came through the match with Milos with a five set win over four hours. Kei's body does let him down, but it certainly didn't in that match. He's been determined all tournament, and beating Novak Djokovic 6-4 1-6 7-6 (4) 6-3 in the QFs certainly helps. 

Kei outclassed Novak, he was simply too good. Novak won the 2nd set and it seemed like he was on track to take the match, but Kei was calm, confident and managed to bring it back. A gruelling tiebreak wasn't even enough to put him off. Very impressive. 

Marin was simply outstanding. His tennis was absolutely perfect. His serves were huge,  but his returns were just as good. His forehands really dominated, and some great shots were coming off that racket. Federer didn't exactly play badly, but Marin was error free, he played the match of his life. Cilic dominated Federer 6-3 6-4 6-4. He was just so impressive, he was calm and confident, like a true professional. Almost half of the points he won were straight winners. Amazing. 



The final is obviously not what everyone expected, but it's sure to be a great match. Both are playing well, they both have determination. I think Marin had a slightly easier match, Federer wasn't playing quite as well as Djokovic, but thats because he didn't get an opportunity to. Kei really battled hard, and thats sure to give him so much confidence in the final. It comes down to a battle over power and agility. Marin's big serves and powerful groundstrokes may just overwhelm Nishikori. 

My prediction- If Cilic can display the same error free game as he did against Federer, I think he may just win his first grand slam title!