For the first time since the 2005 Australian Open, a men's Grand Slam final won't feature the familiar faces of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic.
On Monday, No. 10 seed Kei Nishikori of Japan will face off at Arthur Ashe Stadium against 14th-seed Marin Clinic for the 2014 U.S. Open championship. It will be a first-ever Grand Slam final for both players.
Nishikori defeated world No. 1 Djokovic in four sets on Saturday to book his spot in the final, while Cilic disposed of Federer later that day in straight sets.
While the pair might not be terribly familiar to fans, they know each other well. Nishikori holds a 5-2 edge in head-to-head matchups. They've met twice before at the U.S. Open, with Nishikori prevailing in a second-round meeting in 2010 while Cilic won a four-setter in the third round in 2012.
Expect to see 24-year-old Nishikori rely on his speed and return of serve while 25-year-old Cilic attempts to use his power game to keep his opponent from getting involved in points.
Nishikori's endurance could be a wild card—he has played long five-set matches against Milos Raonic and Stan Wawrinka on his road to the final at Flushing Meadows.
The march to crown a new U.S. Open men's champion gets underway at 5 p.m. ET. Join us here for all the action as it happens, starting at 4:45 p.m.
//from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1s4WGCk
via IFTTT September 08, 2014 at 12:52PM
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