Having disposed of one tyro, Croatian Marin Cilic has his sights set on tearing down another after booking his spot in the Brisbane International’s final eight.
Third seed Cilic earned a hard-fought straight sets 7-,5 7-6 (3) victory over Korean teenager Hyeon Chung to move into the tournament’s quarterfinals at the Queensland Tennis Centre on Wednesday.
He will face 22-year-old Austrian star Dominic Thiem, the eighth seed in Brisbane and the youngest player in the ATP top 20, after he rolled American Denis Kudla in less than an hour with a quick-fire 6-3, 6-2 win earlier on Wednesday.
Cilic, the 2014 US Open winner, has never played Thiem before but has practised with the prodigious young gun, who broke through on tour last year with three ATP World Tour titles.
“I think he’s going to definitely come up with some big shots, big serves. He can play extremely well. I have to be ready for that,” Cilic said.
“I have to just be focused on my game and try to play the best I can in my own part of the court.
“Physically I was really, really good. I’m feeling positive for the rest of the week, too.”
Backing up from his three-set victory over James Duckworth on Tuesday, Thiem’s serve was well and truly on point against Kudla in a sign of what Cilic can expect in their quarterfinal.
Thiem didn’t face a single break point and smashed seven aces in total, wrapping up his comprehensive victory in just 56 minutes.