The fourth round of the Australian Open 2019 will feature the World No. 7 Marin Cilic going head to head with the rising Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.
Watch & bet on Marin Cilic v Roberto Bautista Agut live with bet365 here* on Sunday, January 20. The Cilic v Bautista Agut match will start not before 5:00 pm local time (7:00 am BST).
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Cilic v Bautista Agut Head to Head
The two players have been meeting on and off on the tour since 2014. So far, they have crossed paths five times in total and Cilic presently leads 4-1. Their last meeting took place in the third round of the Paris Masters 2017, where Cilic won in straight sets.
Cilic Survives a Major Scare
Marin Cilic is heading into this fixture after almost being knocked out by the 26th seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco. It was a thrilling match, to say the least, that lasted for four hours and 22 minutes.
Verdasco took an early lead after winning the first couple of sets. Just when it appeared that he would win this match comfortably, Cilic shifted gears and made a strong comeback by winning the third set.
The fourth set was fought to a tie-break between Cilic and Verdasco as both the players held on to their service. In the tie-breaker, Verdasco found himself on two match points and unfortunately, he squandered both of them. Cilic capitalised on this and took the fourth set.
Having just survived a major upset, the Croatian sealed the victory in the fifth by winning it in just 51 minutes. He ultimately won the match 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(10), 6-3.
The Croat played an instrumental role in taking Croatia to the Davis Cup victory against France last season. He was also a semifinalist at the Cincinnati Masters and the champion at the ATP Queen’s Club in London. He also reached the final few rounds in several competitions but never really managed to go the distance.
Can Bautista Agut Deliver an Upset Here?
Roberto Bautista Agut has what it takes to be the dark horse in the tournament. Last season, he achieved his career-best ranking as the World No. 13 after winning two singles titles at the ATP Dubai and Auckland. He also reached the quarterfinal in Basel and semifinal in St. Petersburg.
As for his performance this year, he arrived in Melbourne after winning the ATP Doha. Over there, he defeated some of the most prominent names in the world of tennis such as Stan Wawrinka, Novak Djokovic, and Tomas Berdych.
Even in Melbourne, he started his run by defeating Andy Murray in an epic five-set thriller. His endurance was truly tested but he ultimately won 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(4), 6-2. The Spaniard was involved in yet another five-set match, this time against John Millman.
After dispatching Millman, he met the 10th seed Karen Khachanov in the third round. This time, he hardly faced any difficulties as he won 6-4, 7-5, 6-4.
Needless to mention, the World No. 24 is playing some of the best tennis of his career right now. He appears to be extremely confident and his level of the game is definitely on par with that of top players.
Cilic v Bautista Agut – Who Will Win?
The two players are evenly matched for this encounter, making this one too close to call. Both of them are highly experienced and are well-versed with playing on the big stage. It would not be surprising to see this one go to five sets.
You can watch & bet on Marin Cilic v Roberto Bautista Agut live with bet365 here* on Sunday, January 20. The Cilic v Bautista Agut match will start not before 5:00 pm local time (7:00 am BST).
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