Former US Open champion Marin Cilic is targeting another Grand Slam crown in 2018 after winning his maiden Major title at the 2014 US Open.
Cilic, who was beaten by World No.1 Roger Federer in a thrilling Australian Open final in Melbourne in what was perhaps the match of the tournament is hoping to challenge the Swiss maestro and 16-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal’s stranglehold at the top of the men’s rankings.
In fact, he insisted that he was trying to improve every department of his game so that he can break the dominance of the celebrated duo, especially at the Grand Slams. Federer and Nadal have split the last five Grand Slams between them.
The Croatian was upset by Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber in the third round of last week’s Indian Wells Masters. Cilic’s biggest weapons, his ferocious forehand and booming serve deserted him on that particular day, while Kohlschreiber managed to outclass him in long rallies from the backcourt, eventually winning 6-4, -6-4 in an hour and 23 minutes.
“I started great this season, opened it the best ever with the final at the Australian Open,” Cilic told ATP World Tour.
“That perspective just gives my mind a good and stable strategy for moving forward in 2018.
“I didn’t finish 2017 the way I wanted.
“Obviously I finished at No. 6, which is still amazing, second year in a row.
“But still I want to push myself to be improving and getting better and obviously that means getting higher in the rankings.
“Hopefully this season can give me a lot of great results and hopefully another Grand Slam title as well.”
Cilic, who has received a bye in the opening round of the Miami Masters, is scheduled to meet either Taylor Fritz or Pierre-Hugues Herbert in his first match of the tournament during the weekend.
