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Cilic stuns Federer to advance to U.S. Open final

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Capping off one of the most surprising and bewildering days of men's tennis in the past decade, 14th-seeded Croat Marin Cilic notched the second colossal upset of the U.S. Open semifinals, blasting Roger Federer 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, in an hour and 45 minutes, to advance to his first career Grand Slam final.  

A win for Cilic would've been shocking in itself. The extent of the beatdown he dished out to the 17-time Grand Slam champ stretched the bounds of comprehension. We'll go to bed Saturday night knowing that we live in a world in which Marin Cilic can destroy Roger Federer in straight sets in a Grand Slam semifinal. That is not the world we thought we lived in when we woke up Saturday morning.

Federer didn't have his best stuff on this day, but he wasn't playing terribly either. The fact is Cilic was flat-out fantastic. He hit his forehand as precisely and heavily as he ever has. His service game was murder. He lost six first-serve points all match. He didn't seem to miss a single put-away opportunity.

Federer doesn't usually have much trouble against big power games. He's usually able to counter by using his extraordinary hands, by changing the pace with tricky slices and spins, or else redirecting his opponent's pace and using it against him. He'd won all five of the matches he'd played against Cilic before this one. 

On Saturday, though, he looked overwhelmed. He couldn't get much going off the ground. Cilic kept the ball deep, pinning him back against the baseline. He wouldn't allow Federer to move up to the net, a tactic he's relied on heavily in this tournament. In his stunning, come-from-behind quarterfinal win against Gael Monfils, Federer came to net 74 times, winning 53 of those points. Against Cilic, he approached 23 times, and won just 11 points. 

There were other things. Intangible things. Like the fact that Roger didn't seem to have his usual touch of inspiration, the creative spark that makes him play with a restrained giddiness, like a kid who's just figured out how to exploit the glitch in a video game. Instead he looked flat, deflated, occasionally disinterested. Instead of whizzing into the corners, his balls mostly hung and floated towards the middle of the court.

He got his first break of the match early in the third set, finally getting the crowd into it. (The fans' efforts to recognize Cilic's excellent play were less than halfhearted. Hell, they weren't even quarterhearted.) They wanted to see another comeback. They thought if they just gave their guy a little push, he'd remember who he was, reel it back in, and turn the whole miserable experience into something they'd fondly reminisce about - the time they saw Roger storm back, yet again. 

Instead, he promptly gave back the break, and never threatened again. It's possible the grueling quarterfinal took too much out of him, both physically and emotionally. But the way Cilic was playing, he would've been tough to beat regardless. Serving for the match, you wondered if he might shrink from the moment, get tight just as he was about to cross the finish line. He responded by firing three straight aces and holding at love. Go figure. 

Cilic raised his arms, walked out into the center of the court, and bellowed to the crowd. Their response was predictably chilly. This was supposed to be Federer's tournament. His best chance yet at No. 18, they all agreed. What had just happened? Who did this guy think he was, strutting into Arthur Ashe and so callously dismissing the greatest tennis player of all time? 

One can't be sure who Cilic thinks he is, but it's pretty clear what practically everyone in attendance on Saturday felt he was: an interloper. He'd wedged himself between Roger and his destiny. 

Don't expect him to apologize for it. 

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