Champ Marin Cilic takes inspiration from ‘special’ court to advance at US Open

Defending champion Marin Cilic powered his way into the third round of the US Open with a 6-2 6-3 7-5 victory over Russian Evgeny Donskoy in Flushing Meadows last night.

The ninth-seeded Croatian cracked 19 aces past the 139th-ranked Donskoy and clinched the second-round match with another huge serve that clattered off the Russian’s racquet.

“This court is very special for me, brings back special memories,” the 26-year-old Cilic said. “It’s sort of unreal. I was working all my life to win a grand slam and now I’m in position to defend one.”