Marin Cilic cannot wait to fulfil a "childhood dream" after seeing his place at the ATP Tour Finals confirmed.
The Croatian's victory over Kei Nishikori in the US Open final earlier this year effectively guaranteed him qualification for the London event, with one spot reserved for a Grand Slam champion even if they finish outside the leading eight players of the season.
Australian Open winner Stanislas Wawrinka dropping out of the top eight would have left Cilic's participation in jeopardy, but that can no longer happen, so the 26-year-old can now look forward to a landmark moment in his career.
"This was one of my childhood dreams," he told reporters. "It happened this year and I'm extremely happy about this success. It's another achievement in my career.
"The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is for sure one of the most interesting tournaments of the year. It is watched all over the world and brings a big attendance to all the matches. It will be a big honour for me to participate there."
Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Wawrinka are the others to have sealed their berths for the season-ending tournament at the O2 Arena next month.
Joe Fish
