NY Times · Sep 4, 2015
Cilic Survives Scare, Keeps Open Defense on Track
NEW YORK — Marin Cilic kept his U.S. Open title defense on track but not without a scare as the ninth seed needed over four hours to put away Mikhail Kukushkin and reach the fourth round with a 6-7(5) 7-6(1) 6-3 6-7(3) 6-1 win on Friday.
Cilic stepped onto the Grandstand court having won 16 straight sets at Flushing Meadows but that string quickly came to an end when the 56th-ranked Kukushkin took the opening set in a tiebreak in what was the start of a long and harrowing afternoon for the defending champion.
"I'm happy with the fighting spirit today, just accepting that I wasn't playing so well," said Cilic. "For sure (being defending champion) always has some weight to it.