Australian Open finalist Marin Cilic has revealed that there was no discussion with him regarding the decision to close the roof for the Australian Open final.
The Croatian, 29, lost a close five-setter with Roger Federer in Melbourne, but it was the controversial decision to close the roof that had many fans and pundits talking.
Cilic revealed his position on the matter after the match: “I have to say that decision, you know, could it have been different? I guess so. I think that it was just little bit difficult to adjust, especially the beginning of the match. With the roof closed, it was way, way cooler than I expected. Well, no, they didn’t ask me. They just came to me to tell me that they are thinking about decision, and they going to make the final decision just around 7pm, just slightly before the match.”
Cilic, who had played all of his previous matches in different conditions, admitted that the change affected him: “That was very, very difficult, especially for the final to, you know, be in that kind of a situation.”
Cilic however, preferred to look back on the tournament with pride and optimism, having reached the final of the Australian Open for the first time. “I had tough matches, tough opponents, beating Rafa [Nadal], reaching here a final, which is definitely amazing. Looking at my own game, I think I improved a lot. I’m playing great tennis. That’s really exciting for me for this 2018.”
Cilic, a former US Open champion, will move to a new career-high ranking of World No.3 as a result of reaching the final. He had lost to Britain’s Dan Evans in the second round last year, ensuring the Croatian had very few points to defend this year.
