Marin Cilic has booked his place in the semi-finals of the US Open after securing a straight-sets victory over Tomas Berdych tonight.
The Croat progressed to what will be his second Grand Slam semi-final appearance after beating the Czech 6-2 6-4 7-6 in two hours and 14 minutes.
Cilic got off to a fine start, breaking the Berdych serve twice on his way to a 4-1 lead in the first set.
He then surrendered his own serve as Berdych sought a comeback, but Cilic broke back to move 5-2 ahead en route to a first-set advantage.
The second set began in similar vein for Berdych, who suffered a break of serve in the opening game. It proved to be a decisive moment in a set where neither player was broken again, with Cilic ultimately winning by a two-game margin.
Cilic's mettle was severely tested when Berdych cruised into a three-game lead in what would be the third and final set of the match. Crucially, the 25-year-old broke back and levelled the match at four games apiece, before a tie-break was ultimately needed to separate the pair.
Both men lost their service game in the opening four points as the tie-break was level at 2-2, but further breaks by Cilic ultimately handed him a 5-4 lead, before he won two further points to book his place in the last four.
Shane Callaghan
