Is Marin Cilic a contender for YE#1?
- Thread starter NGM
- Start date
Federer and Del Potro
Bionic Poster
Possible. Would be awesome. I really like Marin nowadays. Used to not really care for him too much.
MeatTornado
Talk Tennis Guru
Of course he is. Until Fed has it mathematically locked up, he could trip in the bathroom again at any time and blow the race wide open.
BeatlesFan
Bionic Poster
He's won one title, a lowly 250, in the past 1.5 years. Why would anyone think he could end the year #1?
His rise is very steady. Runner up at two slams. And other top players injuerd left and right so his paths to final should be easier.
Zhilady
Professional
Because he’s also made 2 Slam finals in the past year, is the world #3, and is currently #2 in the ATP race.
Who do you think are the top 5 contenders for the YE#1, and in what order?
titoelcolombiano
Legend
We will have a better picture of the race after RG. Either Rafa will clean up as usual or his injury woes will continue and he will practically be out of it. It would be sad for the game if Fed got injured and someone like Marin took it by default though.
D
Deleted member 742196
Guest
Yip. I like him too. Gentle giant. Was tough watching his melt down at last year’s Wimbledon and I’m glad to see he bounced right back.
He’s exactly the profile of player that can give Federer issues nowadays, if he manages to figure out the risk/reward on his groundstrokes more consistently through a match, it’s not at all a gimme for Federer.
For me Marian is solid #2-5 given the last year, and very deservedly so.
OP
Fed did really well to pick his points carefully in 2017, but 2018 there’s a certain pressure to retain/improve upon them. I reckon any drop off and Marian will be there to make up ground. It isn’t inconceivable for Marian to end up #1.
Fed does seems hellbent on having all the important records however and I think YE#1 is one of them.
Thundergod
Hall of Fame
If Fed has a good year(like 7500+ pts), then no chance for Cilic or anyone not named Nadal. He would have to be goating over a full calendar year, which he's never done before.
If Fedal somehow both go down halfway through the season, then he has a good chance.
If Fedal somehow both go down halfway through the season, then he has a good chance.
D
Deleted member 688153
Guest
Sure, why not.
He'll need a good showing post-Wimbledon though to be in contention.
But if he makes another slam final and Murralovic continue their irrelevance then he's probably got a top two position sewn up.
It would also be necessary for the wheels to come off for Fed as well I think - for Cilic to actually do it, that is.
He'll need a good showing post-Wimbledon though to be in contention.
But if he makes another slam final and Murralovic continue their irrelevance then he's probably got a top two position sewn up.
It would also be necessary for the wheels to come off for Fed as well I think - for Cilic to actually do it, that is.
BeatlesFan
Bionic Poster
My point stands: Cilic has won one tournament in 1.5 years. Nobody with that record is reaching #1. He's not going to start winning 6 or 7 tournaments and a slam in 2017. He also has 1200 points to defend at Wimbledon.
The only two men who can end the year #1 are Fed or Nadal. No one else is even in the discussion, IMO.
D
Deleted member 688153
Guest
Will Zverev even finish in the Top 5 this year?
Deon Sanders
Legend
Same
He used to be a basher serve bot
His game has really become way more well rounded
D
Deleted member 688153
Guest
That's a good point actually. He's defending another slam final this year as it is.
Still, I think YE #2 is pretty doable. Even #1 if Fed screws the pooch post-RG. Not like it's likely to be anyone else. Maybe Nadal if he stops being Finnish again
Pheasant
Legend
If an injury-prone Nadal and the 36 1/2 year Federer get injured, then Cilic has a good chance. I would say that there is a 25% chance that both Federer and Nadal have the remainder of their schedules shortened due to injuries. Given that, I would say that Cilic has a 1/8 chance of ending the year world #1.
EloQuent
Legend
I doubt it. I'd guess he ends up around mid teens. But Dimitrov will hang on in the top 5, or close to it.
Then we'll have a bunch of newcomers to the top 10. Who knows exactly who.
EloQuent
Legend
Nadal ain't ending the year #1.
Scenario: Roger ends the year with 5500 ATP points, give or take. Who is YE#1?
D
Deleted member 742196
Guest
This is the window my man Kohli has been waiting for his whole life!
Thundergod
Hall of Fame
Lol Fed would have to go to 2013 form for the rest of the year to score that low and even 2013 Fed had about 4200 points.
The field sucks too much for him not to get some free points.
Zhilady
Professional
And yet, he is still the world #3.
He doesn’t have to do any of those things to finish #1. All he has to do is finish ahead of everyone else.
Irrelevant for YE#1.
Cilic, right now, has a healthy lead over Nadal. About a 1000 points right now, with more to gain at Indian Wells and Miami.
Chicharito
Hall of Fame
Yeah sure. Someone has to, he will play a full schedule and right now he is no worse than 3rd favourite
boredone3456
G.O.A.T.
Delpo and Dimitrov along with Cilic may be the next best bets if they get it together. Rafa, Stan and Novak all seem to be having a lot of issues with their bodies right now. But seeing as Dimitrov just bombed at IW...he may not be such a hot contender either. Clay is going to tell alot about who the competition is if Federer does not play.
Defending 2017 points doesn’t mean anything for YE #1. He isn’t catching Federer for #1 if Federer stays healthy and keeps playing the way he is, but if Federer slips or drops off a little, who are the contenders?? Cilic is one, and having already made a major F gives him a leg up on everyone.
Im(moral) Winner
G.O.A.T.
Here are the ATP race rankings for the YE #1
http://www.openerarankings.com/Home?Race=1
https://live-tennis.eu/en/atp-race
http://www.openerarankings.com/Home?Race=1
https://live-tennis.eu/en/atp-race
PrestigeDave45
Semi-Pro
yes
Sure hope so
As some one above said it was great to see the guy recover from his Wimbledon meltdown.
That was one real bad day at the office.
Sure hope so
As some one above said it was great to see the guy recover from his Wimbledon meltdown.
That was one real bad day at the office.
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PrestigeDave45
Semi-Pro
Did he really say that?
Badabing888
Hall of Fame
God, I bloody hope not. Men’s tennis really would have sunk to it’s lowest if the best player in the world and year is Cilic. It might even give Sascha hope of one day reaching the summit.
But Other than Cilic who else is there right now to challenge Fed? Del Po?
But Other than Cilic who else is there right now to challenge Fed? Del Po?
serpentsrace
New User
I guess, only since there is virtually nobody except Federer who will probably play a limited schedule, skip clay, and who knows how long he can keep this up at this age. Nadal might sweep the clay season, but I am not sure if he is a big shot at world #1 this year, especialy with his health problems. Really there are almost no decent options, it shows what a joke mens tennis has become now that we are even talking about Cilic as having a shot at YE#1, LOL!
ibbi
G.O.A.T.
The trouble with Cilic is that with very few exceptions he doesn't really play well with expectations weighing him down, and most of the time even when he gives you reason to be hopeful his body lets him down.
His defense of his US Open crown was just a struggle pretty much the whole way right up until whatever he did to himself in or prior to the semi final with Djokovic, his issues in the Wimbledon final last year are well documented, look how bad his follow up to that was in New York. There's the time he won Cincy and then bombed out in the first week of the Open.
He can do well if everyone stops talking about him or expecting anything from him but otherwise I don't really see it. He's got the ability to be consistent across the whole year, just maybe not the nerve.
His defense of his US Open crown was just a struggle pretty much the whole way right up until whatever he did to himself in or prior to the semi final with Djokovic, his issues in the Wimbledon final last year are well documented, look how bad his follow up to that was in New York. There's the time he won Cincy and then bombed out in the first week of the Open.
He can do well if everyone stops talking about him or expecting anything from him
but otherwise I don't really see it. He's got the ability to be consistent across the whole year, just maybe not the nerve.
Tennis_Hands
Banned
Like I said in another thread: both he and Del Potro are.
manley0702
Rookie
I don't know about that. Sometimes things just click for a player, and they start dominating. Look at Djokovic 2010 to 2011. In 2010, he made only 4 finals the entire year going 2-2. Last year Cilic made 3 finals and went 1-2. That's not terribly different, and I'm not even including his Aussie results this year.
Phoenix1983
G.O.A.T.
Truth, damn truth.
Zhilady
Professional
FTFY.
Lukhas
Legend
Depending on how Federer and Nadal perform, his earliest shot would be around or after the US Open. Čilić can win points in a lot of tournaments be it in on clay or in the summer hard court season. Obviously bombing out of Indian Wells doesn't help his chances. While difficult, the notion isn't too far-fetched. Nadal is suspicious physically and already has dropped a few points and Federer likely isn't playing even near a full schedule. A very difficult challenge for Čilić, especially considering his legendary consistency but not impossible.
True Fanerer
G.O.A.T.
Cilic is similar to Wawrinka in that he tends to only show up for the slams. Cilic probably even more so.
Federer and Del Potro
Bionic Poster
Cryic probably out of the top 10 at the rate he's going. Sniffing glue lately?
No I've been eating it
Kalin
Legend
Forehand_Slice
Semi-Pro
If Federer can't manage to defend his points, Cilic does have a chance.
He certainly has the game on all surfaces, but is lacking on the mental side and on consistency.
Even if he doesn't, with Nadal having little chance to defend his US title, YE2 seems like a good bet.
Only competition is Dimitrov and Zverev. Both are slam under performers and in form Cilic is the best of the three.
He certainly has the game on all surfaces, but is lacking on the mental side and on consistency.
Even if he doesn't, with Nadal having little chance to defend his US title, YE2 seems like a good bet.
Only competition is Dimitrov and Zverev. Both are slam under performers and in form Cilic is the best of the three.
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