NY Times · Sep 9, 2015
Cilic Goes the Distance to Keep Defense Alive
NEW YORK — Defending champion Marin Cilic squandered three match points in the fourth set but was still proud of how he finished off a tough victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga that carried him through to the U.S. Open semi-finals on Tuesday.
Trailing by two sets to one, Tsonga saved two match points in the 10th game to hold for 5-5 and another two games later to force a tiebreak that he won comfortably to set up the climactic fifth set.
However, the ninth-seeded Croat shook off the disappointment of failing to close out the contest by breaking the Frenchman to love for a 3-2 lead and held serve thereafter before cashing in his fifth match point for a 6-4 6-4 3-6 6-7(3) 6-4 victory.