The effect of winning his first Grand Slam title has worn off in the locker room, says Marin Cilic, but the Croat is still drawing confidence from his U.S. Open title.
“Everybody I guess has that in their own mind,” said the 10th-ranked Croat. “But it all comes down to how are you are playing in the matches. So that's the thing. For me, it has given me different aspect in my mind in approaching big tournaments, as I'm more focused on myself.”
Cilic won his 10th consecutive Grand Slam match to reach the fourth round of the French Open, his best showing since he was sidelined at the beginning of the season with a shoulder injury. He indicated he was a bit surprised with his own performance in Paris. “My first priority for French Open was to win some matches to get the confidence I'm needing in the matches back,” said Cilic. “That was the first focus and the main priority for me. I was not looking so much for the result, as the clay-court season this year hasn't been the best. I played okay at Monte Carlo and then later was a lot of up and downs."
Being a Grand Slam champion isn't having a big effect on his opponents, says Cilic, who will next face David Ferrer. “I didn't play also too much this season, and I don't think that's the case at the moment. Of course everybody knows what am I capable to do on the court and how I can play.”