Novak survives Cilic clash

Djokvoic: Tough test

Whenever I needed to serve it out, he was really stepping in. I played a bit too defensive. I was waiting for his mistakes, and I was wrong.

Novak Djokovic
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US Open
Flushing Meadows, Aug 25- Sep 7
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Number three seed Novak Djokovic came through a big-hitting late-night test against Croatian Marin Cilic in four sets to reach the fourth round at the US Open.

Serbian Djokovic lost the first set on a tie-breaker but rallied to win out 6-7 7-5 6-4 7-6 after nearly four hours on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

The 19-year-old Cilic pushed the Australian Open champion and last year's beaten finalist at Flushing Meadows all the way in a fiercely contested battle in New York.

The two players pounded each other with heavy artillery from the baseline in some memorable rallies during a first set tie-breaker that could have gone either way before Cilic took it 9-7.

Djokovic converted a second break point at 5-5 in the second and served out to level the match at one set all.

Aces

Cilic hit 19 aces in all to just eight from the 21-year-old Djokovic but the Croatian also had 12 double faults as he went for everything in a bid for an upset win.

US Open debutant Cilic, seeded 30th, did not play like a first-timer during the match, although Djokovic hit his best form in the third to win it strongly.

Cilic showed great character to fend off two match points at 4-5 in the fourth set on the Djokovic serve before going on to break and level the set.

The tie-breaker was just one step too far for Cilic though as world number three and Olympic bronze medallist Djokovic powered through it 7-0 to go through - but he was well aware he had been in a match by the end of the long evening.

"I had a very, very difficult match and even if I lost today, he would deserve it," said Djokovic, who now plays Tommy Robredo of Spain. "He absolutely played great.

Chances

"I was just trying to stay with him, I knew he had a great serve, great first-serve percentage. I used my chances, I stayed focused."

Cilic was a difficult opponent for Djokovic and the Serbian acknowledged that he had endured a tough test.

"Obviously he didn't have much to lose as a youngster, and he's on the road (to success). He won New Haven (just prior to the Open) and he won a couple of matches here and he was on the centre court for the first time.

"Whenever I needed to serve it out, he was really stepping in. I played a bit too defensive.

"I was waiting for his mistakes, and I was wrong."