18-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal plays 2014 US Open winner Marin Cilic in their fourth round encounter on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Labor Day Monday, September 2 at the US Open 2019. The match is yet to be scheduled. You can find the Rafael Nadal v Marin Cilic live streaming options along with its preview, head to head and tips here.
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Rafael Nadal v Marin Cilic Head to Head
The two players have met eight times, with Nadal leading the head-to-head 6-2. Cilic won their first ever meeting in 2009 on the hard courts in Beijing, and has since only won their 2018 Australian Open quarter-final, where Nadal pulled out in the midst of a thrilling five-set encounter due to injury, down a break in the decider.
Nadal On The Brink Of Another Major Quarter-Final
World number two Rafael Nadal has had a strong season with respect to the majors. He won the French Open, lost the Australian Open final to Novak Djokovic, and lost the Wimbledon semi-finals to Roger Federer.
At the last major of the year, the Spaniard has had a very straightforward first three rounds, with straight set victories in the first and third rounds and a walkover in the second. He looked in control and in excellent form throughout his matches against Aussie John Millman and Korean Hyeon Chung.
Nadal is now on the brink of his fourth consecutive quarter-final of the year at the majors. Since the 2017 Australian Open, the world number two has thus far made the last eight of all grand slams except the 2017 Wimbledon where he lost in the fourth round to Giles Muller.
Going into the second week, the Spaniard has a challenging draw with Marin Cilic, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev and Gael Monfils all in his path to the final next Sunday.
The second seed is in search of his fourth US Open and 19th grand slam title. He was a winner here in 2010, 2013, and 2017 twice defeating Novak Djokovic in the final and once South African Kevin Anderson.
Nadal has run into bodily wear and tear issues around this time of the season in past years that have impeded his performance at the US Open on those occasions. The Spaniard mentioned he feels healthy, fit and ready to go largely as a result of managing his schedule better this year.
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Cilic Looking To Revive Dismal Season
Marin Cilic was the 2014 mens’ singles champion defeating Roger Federer and Kei Nishikori in straight sets in the semi-finals and finals respectively.
The Croat was also a Wimbledon finalist in 2017, and an Australian Open finalist in 2018, losing to Roger Federer on both occasions. Cilic was ranked number three in the ATP rankings in early-mid 2018 and has been a regular face at the ATP Tour Finals in London in recent years.
The 2019 season has not been a favorable one for the former US Open champion, with injuries and early losses being the trend this season resulting in him being out of the top 20 in the ATP rankings.
Cilic has a game that is well suited to the faster grass and hard courts and has been attempting to get his season back on track, since the conclusion of the clay season this year.
However, the grass swing did not bode too well for the Croat, and he met with disappointing early losses in the North American hard courts ATP Masters 1000 events at both Montreal and Cincinnati.
Cilic has not looked at his best during the first week at the US Open either, but a somewhat scratchy third round win against home favorite John Isner should give him confidence going into the next round.
The Croat faces Nadal in his round of 16 encounter and knows that he will need to be close to his very best to challenge the Spaniard who is in prime form at the moment.
Rafael Nadal v Marin Cilic Predictions & Tips
This is a matchup that can bother the Spaniard, when Cilic is at his best on the hard courts. A big serve and the ability to hit through the line are traits of the Croat’s game that can trouble many a tennis player, including the best like Nadal and Federer.
However, Cilic is low on confidence and form and Nadal will be aware of that and look to push through early with his aggressive play.
While we can expect a good match if Cilic brings his best game, it seems unlikely based on his recent form.
Nadal to make another grand slam quarter-final in straight sets.
Tip: Nadal to win in three sets: 17/20 (888Sport)
You can watch & bet on Rafael Nadal v Marin Cilic on Monday, September 2 here. . Get the latest tennis predictions and tips here.
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