Rafael Nadal and Marin Cilic will be squaring off for the seventh time in their careers when they clash in the Australian Open quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Date: 23 January 2018
Match time: 7 PM local time (AEDT) / 3 AM EST – New York, Montreal / 8 AM GMT – United Kingdom / 9 AM CET – Spain, France, Germany, Italy. To convert to your local time, use this website.
Rafa on playing Marin:
All the matches are tough, and if you are in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam, you can’t expect an easy match. Against Marin will be a tough one, but at the same time, is a beautiful match to play against a great player. We know each other. We played a couple of times already.
And, yeah, I know I need to play well. That’s the real thing. I know I need to play well. That’s what I gonna try. I hope to be ready to make that happen.
Rafa holds an 5-1 lead in his head-to-head series with Cilic, including victories in their past four meetings. Their first meeting came back in Beijing in 2009 which is when Marin recorded his only career victory over Rafa.
| YEAR | EVENT | SURFACE | RND | WINNER | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Shanghai China |
Outdoor Hard | SF | Rafael Nadal | |
| 2017 | Acapulco Mexico |
Outdoor Hard | SF | Rafael Nadal | |
| 2015 | Basel Switzerland |
Indoor Hard | QF | Rafael Nadal | |
| 2011 | ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome Italy |
Outdoor Clay | QF | Rafael Nadal | |
| 2011 | Australian Open Australia |
Outdoor Hard | R16 | Rafael Nadal | |
| 2009 | Beijing China |
Outdoor Hard | SF | Marin Cilic |
GOOD LUCK & VAMOS RAFA!
I’m so not looking forward to a tie break! But if it gets there, hopefully Rafa prevails. Get it done champ!!
Huuuge opportunity missed at 4-5 in the third for Rafa, had a set point while rallying. 5 all now in the third. Remember folks, we don’t very much Cilic for a couple of reasons 1) he’s playing Rafa 2) he’s given Roger his 19th major on a platter at Wimbledon, the worst no show in the last decade at SW19 since Andy Murray choked the final away in 2012.
Skip the in the last decade part. I was getting ahead of myself, being too stressed watching this nailbiter of a QF
Cilic coming up with the answer for whatever Rafa sends his way. Such clutch play from him!
You’re right Lorna… it’s not the hunger. Rafa needs to figure out that Cilic serve. It’s doing too much damage.
This match is now about who wants it more… and for now, that seems to be Cilic. Rafa needs to show some hunger. Come on champ!!
No one can ever dispute Rafa’s hunger as he wants it badly. The fact is that Cilic is standing up to Rafa, so Rafa now needs to find another gear.
Give him some drop shots Rafa!
wi……………………..wi……………………wi…………………………LETS GO RAFA LETS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) ) : ) 🙂 🙂 : ) POWERFUL HOLD SWEETHEART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) 😉 : ) 😉 : ) : ) CLASSY NADAL STYLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) 😉 🙂 😉 😉
BEAUTIFUL SERVE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) 🙂 : ) YOU ARE COMING UP WITH SOLID TENNIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) 🙂 🙂 GO RAFA GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) 😉 😉 😉 🙂 XOXOXOXOXO LOVE YOUR PASSION & STRIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) 😉 : ) ; )
GREAT HOLD LEADING 3rd set 2:1 VAMOS DEAR RAFA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) I LOVE THIS AWESOME LADY UMPIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : 0 ; ) : ) : ) : ) SHE IS TOP PROFESSIONAL >>>>>FAIR. OBJECTIVE. INTELLIGENT. PAYS ATTENTION TO EACH BALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂 : ) ; ) : ) 🙂 GO RAFA GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : )
Its a 3 set match now Rafa… take it in two please! Don’t want no drama! Stay focused.
VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) 🙂 🙂 🙂 GORGEOUS IN PINK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) ; : ) : ) 🙂 : ) GREAT SERVE VARIETY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) ; ) : ) : ) 😉 : ) XOXOXOXO
Cmon rafa you can do this!! Put the last set behind you.
IT IS OK …..VAMOS SWEETHEART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) : ) 🙂 KEEP GOING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) ; ) : ) ; ) : ) : ) : ) : ) YOU ARE THE BETTER, STRONGER PLAYER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) ; ) ; ) : ) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) XOXOXOXOXOXO
Rafa’s level has dropped am lot. Looks nervous and shaky. Don’t know what he’s doing and I don’t think he himself knows.
Needs to be aggressive again!!!
Cmon!!!!
Vamos
Rafa playing well but needs to up the intensity… we can’t have Cilic getting any ideas up in his head.
Come on Rafa, you can do it!
VAMOS SWEETHEART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) BEAUTIFUL LEAD 6:3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) 😉 😉 TIMELY ACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) : ) 🙂 🙂 AND FANTASTIC MAGICAL RETURNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) 🙂 😉 🙂 : ) WE LOVE YOU RAFA NADAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) 🙂 🙂 🙂 VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) XOXOXO
VAMOS SWEETHEART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) 😉 🙂 🙂 🙂 YOU ARE WARMING UP BEAUTIFULLY WITH A SHARP ACE & GREAT EFFECTIVE SERVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) : ) 🙂 GREAT MATCH DEAR RAFA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) 🙂 🙂 😉 airhead mac keeps talking nonsense…rubbish in a massive basket….hard to focus on the players because he keeps chatting away saying nothing….I tried to find an alternative commentary and was unable to….From listening to his bs it is odd is he allowed to cover matches….GS matches…????
GO RAFA GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 KEEP YOUR WISE MIXING…………………YOU HAVE SUCH GREAT TENNIS INTELLIGENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) 🙂 : ) 😉 : ) : ) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) : )
Rafa please try to be aggressive at break points! Can’t give Cilic too many chances!!
Go, go, go!!!!
Praying for you!!!
YOU LOOK GREAT OUT THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) 🙂 : ) 🙂 🙂
GO RAFA GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) 🙂 🙂 WE LOVE YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) 🙂 🙂 🙂
VAMOS SWEETHEART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) 🙂 ; ) HAVE A GREAT TIME & LOTS OF FUN PLAYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) : ) LOTS OF LOVE & HAPPINESS SWEETHEART & VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Rafa, won’t be able to watch your match live but will replay it once I’m back , I’m rooting for you and Carla , let’s have two Spaniard’s in the semi finals at the end of today. Good luck to you both😘