ATP Tour - Cilic earns glory in Chennai

Eurosport - Sun, 11 Jan 15:53:00 2009

Third-seeded Croatian Marin Cilic beat Indian wildcard Somdev Devvarman 6-4 7-6 to win the Chennai Open and claim the second title of his career.

TENNIS 2009 ATP Chennai Marin Cilic - 0

Cilic took exactly two hours to see off Devvarman's resolute challenge, clinching victory as he took the second-set tie-break 7-3.

"We played a really good match," Cilic said at the prize ceremony. "It wasn't the best in a tennis way, but in a fighting way it was a good one, especially because of the crowd and their support to Somdev in the second set helping him to come back."

Cilic saved four break points in the fifth game and two in the seventh before he broke Devvarman in the 10th game to win the opening set.

Devvarman was playing in his first ATP final after being handed a walkover in the semi-finals by injured German Rainer Schuettler.

Devvarman, who grew up in Chennai, recovered from 5-2 down to take the second set into the tie-break as Cilic committed a series of unforced errors and the Indian curbed his own.

"The guy played like a complete champion today," Devvarman said. "I was completely getting killed in the second set, found a way to claw back and at least gave myself a good shot in the second set.

"Coming out and fighting as hard as I could, having these guys (in the crowd) behind me every single point was electrifying."

Reuters

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  1. well done Cilic!!!!!

    From xence, on Tue 13 Jan 12:12AM
  2. welldone man.congrats

    From anu, on Mon 12 Jan 10:06AM
  3. Way to Marin!

    From Ned, on Sun 11 Jan 8:05PM
  4. Weeeeeeeee... Well done Marin..! :D

    From proud_croat_girl, on Sun 11 Jan 4:48PM
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