Marin Cilic became the first Croatian to win the Croatia Open in 22 years, defeating Marcel Granollers of Spain 6-4, 6-2 in Umag.
“It’s a real privilege to be among these champions,†said Cilic. “It was really special this week. I played great tennis and I was enjoying every moment in my matches. I’m really glad I won for my supporters, my team and myself.”
Down 2-4 Â in the first set, Cilic won nine games in a row to take a 5-0 lead in the second set.
“I think Marin was much better than me,†said Granollers. “He played a very good match. I was up 4-2 in the first set but I did not close out the set. Marin started to play better and better. The second set, I didn’t know how to win a point. I congratulate him on how he played.”
“Marcel is a really dangerous player, so it was not easy in the beginning. He was playing really well and not giving me too much. After I found some solutions, I kept with him and played great tennis. It was maybe my best match of the week. I had a streak of winning nine games in a row, so that was amazing. It helped me to relax and know that I was on the right path.”
For Cilic it’s his second title of the year, he won the Queen’s Club tournament last month.
