US Open Tennis 2014: Day 15 Results, Highlights and Scores Recap from New York

The 2014 U.S. Open may not have been won by Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray or Roger Federer, but after watching Marin Cilic's pristine performance against Kei Nishikori on Monday, none may have been more deserving of the title.

Cilic, the No. 14 seed at Flushing Meadows, dominated the No. 10 seed in practically every phase of the game, especially on serve. The 25-year-old Croatian player cruised to a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 victory to claim his first major title.

Cilic used every bit of his eight-inch height advantage over Nishikori on Monday. His blazing serves resulted in a total of 17 aces and made life quite difficult for his opponent on the return.

In the first set, Cilic racked up three aces, winning 10 of a possible 11 first-serve points. Fierce on the rally as well, he showed some aggression, winning all five net points and taking the game in just 33 minutes. After Cilic racked up 11 winners against Nishikori's two in the first set, it became clear the No. 10 seed's endurance would be heavily tested.

Here's a look at one of Cilic's early winners, courtesy of US Open Tennis:

The Croatian continued to display his big serve throughout the second set, recording another seven aces. However, Cilic began to stumble late in the set, accumulating 12 unforced errors while allowing Nishikori to convert his first break point.

Ben Rothenberg of The New York Times tweeted his thoughts:

Despite brief struggles, Cilic remained unfazed. After a Nishikori error, he slammed a winner down the line to earn his second set of the match.

Take a look at his baseline strike, via US Open Tennis:

Nishikori refused to go down quietly in the third set. He began to show signs of life, recording his first ace of the match to avoid being broken. Still, Cilic proved to be too powerful, taking a break in the fourth game and winning the fifth to move to 4-1.

Here's a look at his overhead to take the game, via US Open Tennis:

ESPNTennis tweeted both players' reactions during the changeover:

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Cilic fist pumps toward his team while Nishikori towels off during the changeover. Cilic up 6-3 6-3 4-1. pic.twitter.com/geBoJljAYg

— ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) September 8, 2014"

Nishikori continued to fight back, winning two more games, but Cilic showed greater endurance late in the match. Up 5-2, Cilic found himself in great position with three championship points after an errant Nishikori backhand.

One point later, the 2014 U.S. Open champion was crowned in decisive fashion. Cilic's reaction was priceless, via Live Tennis:

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The Cilic camp celebrates! (via @tjc05) https://t.co/09jQESf33d

— Live Tennis (@livetennis) September 8, 2014"

The Croatian Football Federation came away thrilled with Cilic's performance and tweeted his message after emerging victorious:

A win in straight sets only adds to Cilic's recent hot streak. He proved he can step up on tennis' biggest stage after defeating Tomas Berdych, Federer and Nishikori without dropping a single set along the way. His brilliant performance will provide him with a bevy of confidence and momentum going forward.

With plenty of tournaments remaining until the ATP World Tour Finals in November, Cilic is in great position to make a run up the world rankings and finish the year alongside some elite company. The sky appears to be the limit for this star in the making.

As for Nishikori, his impressive run at this event cannot go overlooked. He endured some grueling matches and upset several big names, including No. 5 Milos Raonic, No. 3 Stan Wawrinka and No. 1 Djokovic.

None of the typical favorites headlined the final, but after Monday's showing, it's clear both Nishikori and Cilic have a bright outlook moving toward next season, which will only add more excitement to the men's field.