Roger Federer's Biggest Keys to Victory in US Open Semifinal vs. Marin Cilic
Roger Federer is up against more than your average No. 14 seed when he faces Marin Cilic in Saturday's 2014 U.S. Open semifinal.
His Croatian opponent has torched his competition in Flushing Meadows, emerging as one of the biggest surprises of the tournament. Making it to the semifinal matches is his best result at a Grand Slam, but he proved in a straight-set romping of No. 6 Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals that he has his sights set much higher.
As for Federer, he barely held on to make it here after mounting an epic comeback to beat No. 20 Gael Monfils in the quarterfinal round. Coming from behind was nonetheless impressive, but he'll need to up his game even higher against Cilic.
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Let's break down what Federer must do to come out with a win in Saturday's semifinal.
Win the First Set
It sounds simple, and, well, it is. But Federer simply cannot afford to dig himself into yet another early hole.
He's done it twice so far through five matches in New York, and the last time nearly did him in. Monfils jumped on him early by winning both the first and second sets, and Federer was one point away from being eliminated in the fourth set before coming back against the odds to advance.
Federer was fortunate Monfils struggled through double faults and inconsistency late in their quarterfinal, but he can't hope for a repeat performance on Saturday. Cilic showed in his dominance of Berdych that if he gets into an early lead, even a furious rally from his opponent can be negated by Cilic's big serve and strong forehand.
If Federer makes it three times in six matches that he has trailed early, it will be his last time on the hard courts at the U.S. Open this year.
Use Net Play to Advantage
If there is one reason why Federer was able to mount the comeback against Monfils—and there aren't, there are many—it was his dominant play at the net.
Federer won 53 of the 74 times he approached the net in his quarterfinal win, according to ATPWorldTour.com. When he was struggling to find any way to break Monfils, he attacked the net and cut off any angles that his opponent previously had.
After beating Monfils, Federer's comments per the U.S. Open official site indicate he's going to continue playing in such a manner:
"I know that Cilic is going to stay on the baseline and dictate play as much as he can. Otherwise he's actually quite similar to Gaël: he's tall, got a big serve, can return well, got a big reach. From that standpoint, I guess it was actually good playing Gaël tonight ahead of the match against Cilic.
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He faces an opponent of similar skill in Cilic—a big, athletic player with one of the game's most powerful serves. If he is able to hold on and avoid getting served past all night, rushing to the net will once again allow him to gain an edge that he otherwise doesn't have.
Federer's skill at the next is unmatched in the game today, even at his age. While he can't afford to sit back and blast forehands back and forth with the powerful Cilic, he can make him pay at the net.
Keep the Crowd Into It
Federer is a crowd favorite at Arthur Ashe Stadium, and that was never on display more than in his quarterfinal against Monfils.
While the Frenchman was popular among the New York crowd in his own right, the audience roared at every Federer winner—even when he was a few points away from losing. It's hard to argue that the momentum shifting in the stadium didn't impact Monfils, who wasn't the same after the tide turned.
"I think when the crowd gives you that and, you know, like you said, there were thousands in the stadium," Federer said to the press after the match, "it grows your belief that you can hit better shots, you can dig out more tough balls, you can serve better. All that just helps solidify your belief."
It won't be a night match this time around for Federer, but there's no doubt it will still be a packed house for the semifinal matches on Saturday. However, it can just as easily be an advantage for Cilic if he impresses early.
Federer needs to start strong and keep the crowd into it to have his best shot at advancing to the final.
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