Schwartzman defeats Cilic, assures US Open of 1st-time Slam finalist

In case the bottom half of the US Open men's draw wasn't sufficiently bombed-out, the highest remaining seed in that half, No. 5 Marin Cilic, was bounced from the tournament Friday by 29th-seeded Diego Schwartzman in the third round.

Aided by a litany of Cilic errors, Schwartzman beat the reigning Wimbledon runner-up 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-4 to advance to his first-ever Grand Slam fourth round. The win also guarantees there will be a first-time Slam finalist on the men's side, something that hasn't happened since Cilic played Kei Nishikori in the US Open final in 2014.

In a strange, nervy, rickety rollercoaster of a match that featured 16 service breaks, Schwartzman was the steadier and more composed player, keeping the ball in play and coaxing Cilic into 80 unforced errors. The plucky Argentine also put his superior returning on display, winning an incredible 68 percent of points on Cilic's second serve (a higher percentage than he won on his own first serve) and converting nine of 20 break points.

Cilic came into the tournament nursing an adductor injury that sidelined him for the entire summer hard-court season, and didn't seem to be 100 percent. Schwartzman took advantage, moving him around the court, drawing him forward with drop shots, and passing him at the net. Cilic managed just 16 winners off the ground, and struggled with his serve for long stretches.

For Schwartzman, the career-best Slam result builds on his two career-best Masters results this season, quarterfinal runs in Monte Carlo and Montreal that have propelled him to a career-high world ranking of No. 33.

He remains in a section of the draw in which the highest seed is No. 10 John Isner, and only one player (Sam Querrey) has made a Slam semifinal. He'll play 16th-seeded Lucas Pouille in the Round of 16.