US Open: Defending Champion Marin Cilic Survives Mikhail Kukushkin Scare to Progress to Fourth Round

Defending US Open Champion Marin Cilic of Croatia survived a tough five-set battle against Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin to progress into the fourth round of the 2015 tournament. Cilic progressed to the round of 16 by winning the match 6-7(5), 7-6(1), 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-1 in a match that lasted over four hours at the Louis Armstrong Stadium. (Marin Cilic Shrugs Off Low-Key Return)

The ninth-seed had a relatively easy path to the third round and had come into the match high on confidence after a 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 win over Russian qualifier Evgeny Donskoy in the previous round.

However, Kukushkin, who is coached by his wife, had caused a big upset in the second round when he defeated 17th seed Russian Gregor Dimitrov 6-3, 7-6(2), 2-6, 4-6, 6-4 in a battle that had lasted three hours and 38 minutes.

Kukushkin got off to a great start in the first set when he won the tie-breaker 7-5 but Cilic held his nerve and took the second set also to the tie-breaker which he won 7-1. He breezed through the third set, winning 6-3 before Kukushkin fought back in the fourth set.

After breaking in the first game of the fourth set, Cilic failed to convert the advantage and allowed his Kazakh opponent to drag the game into the tie-breaker again. Kukushkin achieved a mini-break against Cilic and he maintained his nerve to win the fourth set tie-breaker by seven games to three.

Heading into the final set, the momentum was with Kukushkin but Cilic gained a crucial break in the second game and he never looked back. Kukushkin committed a couple of unforced errors in the fourth game and was broken again and from that point, it was smooth sailing as Cilic comfortably won the set 6-1 to seal victory.