Defending champion Marin Cilic overcame a tweaked right ankle thanks in large part to 23 aces and returned to the US Open quarterfinals with a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (2), 6-1 victory over 27th-seeded Jeremy Chardy of France.
The champ moves on! Behind 23 aces and 52 winners, #Cilic pulls off the win 6-3, 2-6, 7-6, 6-1 over #Chardy. #usopen pic.twitter.com/rOLnT3gFti
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 6, 2015
Cilic smacked serves at up to 132 mph, relying on that big shot to carry him in the pivotal third-set tiebreaker. Cilic hit four serves in that tiebreaker and each one was an ace.
The ninth-seeded Croatian has won his past 11 matches at Flushing Meadows, where he reached his first Grand Slam final a year ago.
He rolled his ankle early in the second set but seemed to be moving fine by late in the third, which he ended with a down-the-line backhand passing winner on the run.
- With files from theScore
