Review: Is this the future of tennis?

It was almost as if Marin Cilic had somewhere to be. The six-foot-six Croatian destroyed Japanese sensation Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in just one hour 54 minutes to capture his first Grand Slam title.

It was exactly a year back: Cilic, who had been hit by a doping scandal, was watching the US Open from home. Look at him now though, living the ‘unreal’, becoming the first player seeded outside the top 10 to win a Major since Pete Sampras at the 2002 US Open.

“This is a second chance he got,” said his coach Goran Ivanisevic. “And now he can just go forward and forward.”



However, this wasn’t the wave that had hit tennis; it was the ripple effect. The wave had struck when a flurry of favourites went crashing out of the US Open, when an almost-final’s clash between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic was crushed, when Cilic and Nishikori surprised New York and the rest of the world.

It may still be too soon though to rule out the ‘Big Four’ – Federer, Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray – and even sooner to say it’s a new era. Federer’s form has revived since 2013; Djokovic and Murray have a few years before they cross the 30-year mark and Nadal sat out of the Open due to a wrist injury. Between them, since 2005, the four have bagged 35 of the past 38 grand slam titles.

However, it’s safe to say that the two finalists at Flushing Meadows caused a major shift in the tennis world, which may herald a gradual change in the sport’s familiar faces.

The unexpected final

Statistically, Nishikori was favourite to win the Major with a 5-2 head-to-head advantage over Cilic, having triumphed in their previous three encounters.

However, if the straight-sets win over Federer was any indication, Cilic had the potential to turn things around. That and Nishikori’s comparatively tougher road to the final – facing Milos Raonic and then Stan Wawrinka in five-set encounters followed by a four-setter with Djokovic –slightly tipped the odds in the Croatian’s favour.

Cilic, apart from his encounter with Federer, had benefitted from a less testing run, having reduced Tomas Berdych to tears in the last eight.

Their journey may have been different, but they both wanted the same thing. The crown was in sight, but finally turned to be out of Nishikori’s reach.

An unflinching Cilic appeared taller than ever, dictating the game from the first point as he relied on his booming serves and groundstrokes to overcome the misery of last year. The Japanese played like a rookie in Cilic’s presence, giving his opponent an easy win.

The 14th-seed upon his victory thanked his coach, saying, “Ivanisevic has brought lots of knowledge, the differences are small pieces in my game which really fit.

"I have the belief to be more aggressive, and there is joy on the practice courts which brings out the best in me. I was waiting to be a grand slam champion."

Meanwhile, despite ending the tournament as runner-up, Nishikori took consolation from having made a name for himself.

"I played three long matches, two five sets and another against Djokovic,” stated the Japanese. “My body was heavy, but I was able to play.

"I don't think a few years ago would happen like this. I think I showed my potential," he said. "I can beat anybody now.”

Interestingly, Federer’s words from August keep ringing a bell, “Somebody's going to win a slam inevitably, and somebody will be the next star and all that stuff…I'm not worried."

Women’s tennis: Serena dominates

Serena Williams, women’s 2014 US Open winner, may have had a challenging year, but every time she plays, you just expect her to win. And she did just that despite her opponent, former world number Caroline Wozniacki, writing herself a compelling story.

Their world in recent years, compared to the men’s side, has no ‘Big Four’. You either expect Maria Sharapova or Serena to do well, and then you have the rest fighting it out, causing a surprise.

The future is unpredictable, but one thing remains certain: Serena has plenty left to keep on going even with her 33rd birthday right around the corner. She has refused to become ‘even a little satisfied’.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2014.

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