TENNIS Live

Australian Open - Last 16 - Men

Nationality Player Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
United StatesJ Blake666--
CroatiaM Cilic344--

James Blake

Nationality USA
Date of Birth 28/12/1979
Height 1.85 m
Weight 79 kg
ATP Ranking 11
Player Info Right-handed

Marin Cilic

Nationality CRO
Date of Birth 28/09/1988
Height 1.95 m
Weight 79 kg
ATP Ranking 24
 

Live Comments

  1. 6-4 - James Blake again relies on that big first-serve to set up MATCH POINT, before claiming victory with yet another service winner! The American is into the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam other than the US Open for the first time and will next face either Tomas Berdych, or more likely Roger Federer, who is leading the Czech by two sets to love right now. The 19-year-old Cilic had an excellent run, upsetting last year's runner-up Fernando Gonzalez on his way to his best-ever Slam performance, but in the end James Blake's serve was just too much for the Croatian youngster.

  2. 5-4 - Blake essentially lets the Croatian teenager rush through a LOVE-Service game and will now serve for the match.

  3. 5-3 - Another quick-and-painless LOVE-Service game for Blake, largely aided by Cilic's inability to handle the American's first-serve, and the Croatian will now have to serve to stay in this match.

  4. 4-3 - Blake sends a forehand error just wide after a nice baseline rally, and Cilic survives a very nervy service hold to DEUCE.

  5. 40-40 - Cilic saves a break point after Blake fights back from 40-15 down to again put the Croatian on his back-heel.

  6. 4-2 - Blake rushes through the hold to 15 to build on his lead.

  7. 3-2 - The tide turns in favour of James Blake, who breaks to LOVE now.

  8. 2-2 - A good, although trickier, hold to 30 for James Blake in that game.

  9. 1-2 - Cilic responds with his own quick-and-easy hold to LOVE.

  10. 1-1 - A very good LOVE-Service hold from James Blake, who has yet to broken this match.

  11. 0-1 - With things looking bleak, Cilic still manages to start this second set off with a comfortable service hold.

  12. 6-4 - Finally, James Blake fires in a pair of service winners to wrap up the second set on his third chance. That set took 43 minutes.

  13. 40-40 - And Cilic saves another SET POINT with an amazing return of serve pass as the American was going for the ill-advised serve-and-volley!

  14. 40-40 - Blake now saves a BREAK POINT with a hugely important service winner.

  15. 40-40 - A fabulous backhand approach that sets up the volley winner at the net allows Cilic to save a SET POINT! Wonderful stuff from the Croatian, who works his way to DEUCE.

  16. 5-4 - And the Harvard man James Blake pumps his fist in delight after breaking to LOVE! The American will serve for the second set, and as untouchable as he's looked on serve this match, that seems like a pretty sure thing right now....

  17. 4-4 - Blake holds comfortably once again.

  18. 3-4 - Cilic lets Blake back into the game after taking a 40-15 lead, but eventually holds to DEUCE winning the point with a string of heavy groundstrokes.

  19. 3-3 - A comfortable hold to 15 now for the American number two.

  20. 2-3 - James Blkae is being very harsh to the umpire after a call doesn't go his way and Cilic holds to 30. "I want to speak to your supervisor," Blake tells the umpire. And the partisan pro-Croatian crowd starts to chant "Suck it up, Suck it up, Suck it up!"

  21. 2-2 - Still on serve in the second set without any real break chances to speak of.

  22. 1-2 - Another strong hold of serve from Cilic.....

  23. 1-1 - Blake, meanwhile, eases through another LOVE-Service game as he has been completely untroubled on serve since mid-way through the first set.

  24. 0-1 - Cilic opens up this second set with a comfortable hold to 30.

  25. 6-3 - Blake needs all three SET POINTS to take the opener 6-3, but he does eventually wrap up the first set in just 26 minutes finishing with a hold to 30.

  26. 5-3 - A LOVE-Service hold for Cilic now means that Blake will have to serve for the opening set.

  27. 5-2 - Blake will not be deterred, rushing to another LOVE-Service game. Cilic will serve to stay in the opening set.

  28. 4-2 - Cilic holds to 30 to stay in touch in this opener.

  29. 4-1 - Blake confirms the break with a hold to LOVE and the American's experience is showing in the early going.

  30. 3-1 - James Blake, a member of that Davis Cup champion US team, now turns things around on the young Croatian by setting up three BREAK POINTS. Cilic saves the first with a service winner, but then fires the forehand error into the net on the next to gift away the early advantage.

  31. 2-1 - Despite consistently ranking inside the top-ten with career-high of four, Blake is still bidding to reach the last eight of a Grand Slam other than the US Open for the first time in his career. He's been to the Flushing Meadows quarters twice. The American saves two BREAK POINTS now before holding a very difficult second service game.

  32. 1-1 - The 19-year-old Croatian opens up with a very comfortable service game of his own. Cilic has played brilliantly this tournament to reach the best Grand Slam placing of his career upsetting last year's runner-up Fernando Gonzalez in the previous round.

  33. 1-0 - These are two highly athletic, very exciting-to-watch players, and that is obvious from the outset as Cilic hits a pair of spectacular winners to work his way back to DEUCE before the American number two holds with a pair of big first-serves.

  34. ----- - Welcome to LIVE text comments and scoring as James Blake meets Marin Cilic for a place in the Australian Open quarter-finals.