New York: Maric Cilic, the 2014 men’s singles champion here and the fifth seed became another player in the top 10 to be shown the door at the US Open tennis tournament here Friday.
Croatian Cilic, idled after Wimbledon until this week due to an adductor strain, was eliminated 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-4 by Argentine 29th seed Diego Schwartzman.
“(The injury) played a quite significant part, and just being injured and not being able to keep that good form,” Cilic said after the match.
Cilic’s exit ensured a first time Slam finalist will come from his draw half, which now lacks a top 10 player and has only one Slam semifinalist, American Sam Querrey, who made it in July at Wimbledon.
“Everyone is improving,” Cilic said. “And you have a lot of youngsters coming up that are playing better.”
Prime among them is Canadian teen Denis Shapovalov, who became the youngest man since 1989 into the US Open last 16. The 18-year-old Israeli-born World No. 69 advanced when Britain’s Kyle Edmund retired with a neck injury with the Canadian leading 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 1-0.
Shapovalov will play for a quarter-final berth against Spanish 12th seed Pablo Carreno Busta, who ousted French qualifier Nicolas Mahut 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.
With 23rd seed Mischa Zverev ousting US 10th seed John Isner 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(7/5), Carreno Busta became the top remaining seed in his half of the draw. Zverev gets US 17th seed Querrey next.
Italy’s Paolo Lorenzi, 35, became the oldest player in the Open Era to reach a Grand Slam last 16 for the first time by defeating countryman Thomas Fabbiano 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. He will next meet South African Kevin Anderson, who beat Croatian Borna Coric 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Anderson has till now won all 43 of his US Open service games and saved all 14 breakpoints he has faced.
Press trust of India