Marin Cilic wins 2014 U.S. Open men’s title

Thanks in part to a dominating serve, No. 14 Marin Cilic defeated No. 10 Kei Nishikori in straight sets to win the 2014 U.S. Open men’s singles title. The 6-3, 6-3 6-3 victory clinched Cilic the first Grand Slam title of his career. He appeared to be the dominant side throughout the match and capped the final set in convincing fashion.

Cilic overpowered Nishikori with his serve at times, recording 17 aces compared to two from Nishikori. While Nishikori struggled some with his serve, Cilic won 80 percent of his first service points. His strong service gave him a dominant advantage against Nishikori who held tough, but never really appeared to threaten Cilic. In addition to his strong power game, Cilic played aggressively and even appeared to be the fresher player. His path to the final was a bit less strenuous than Nishikori’s who was coming off a pair of five-set wins and one four-set victory.

The 25-year-old Cilic claimed his first Grand Slam title with the win in his first appearance in a Grand Slam final. His previous best finish was a semifinal appearance at the 2010 Australian Open.

Nishikori came up short of the title, but took the runner up finish, an impressive feat considering he appeared on the way to an early exit against No. 5 Milos Raonic in the fourth round. Trailing 2-1 and hobbled by a foot injury, Nishikori rallied to win that match in five sets. He followed it up with another five-set victory, this time against No. 3 Stan Wawrinka. That sent him to the semifinals where he upset No. 1 Novak Djokovic in four sets. Health has long been an issue for the 24-year-old, but if he can remain in the form he displayed at the U.S. Open, it may not be long before he’s in contention at another Grand Slam event.