By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
Marin Cilic was victorious in one of the most exciting matches at the 2018 U.S. Open early Monday morning, coming back from two-sets-to-love down to defeat 19-year-old Alex de Minaur of Australia 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.
The match concluded at 2:22 am, just four minutes shy of equaling the latest finishing matches in U.S. Open history.
After losing his two-set lead, de Minaur trailed 2-5 in the final set but saved six match points to square the match at 5-5. He saved a sixth match point in the 12th game of the final set before Cilic converted on his seventh opportunity to advance into the fourth round.
Said de Minaur after the loss, “I am not going to lie. I am pretty devastated. But at the same time, it is the beauty of this sport. I was two-sets-to-love up against a quality opponent today and didn’t manage to finish it off, but I left it all out there. I have to be proud of my efforts. I gave it every single inch of energy I had left and it just wasn’t good enough today.”
The match concluded almost exactly four years to the minute of the last of three times a match has finished as late at 2:26 am when on September 2, 2014, when Kei Nishikori defeated Milos Raonic 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (6), 7-5, 6-4 in four hours, 19 minutes in the fourth-round. In 2012, Philipp Kohlschreiber defeated John Isner in a five-set third-round match that ended at 2:26 am and in 1993, Mats Wilander defeated Mikael Pernfors in a third-round match that ended at 2:26.
Tennis fans can read all of the latest finishing matches in tennis history, compiled in the book “The Bud Collins History of Tennis” here:
“The Bud Collins History of Tennis” by Bud Collins for sale and download here https://www.amazon.com/dp/1937559386/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_Fr9IBbC1HSW5J
- Marin Cilic