Daily Data Viz: How do Marin Cilic's U.S. Open stats compare to his title year in 2014?
When Marin Cilic won the 2014 U.S. Open it came as a big surprise and the way he did it was startling. The Croatian completely overpowered Tomas Berdych and Roger Federer before taking the title over KeiNishikori.
Power is the cornerstone of his game and it becomes even more potent when it’s matched with consistency. In 2014, Cilic struggled through the early rounds before finding championship form—this year he’s found his consistency with his ground game early in the tournament and that could prove to be dangerous for the rest of the field. But his first serve could be a concern.
Cilic has more winners and fewer unforced errors than he did in 2014 and he’s done this without getting a lot of his overpowering first serves in play. But the stat of only 46% first serves in play could prove to be a problem if he doesn’t pick it against big-hitting Jack Sock in the third round.
Check SI.com's 2016 U.S. Open data hub page throughout the whole tournament for the latest data-driven infographics and charts from IBM, the official technology partner for the U.S. Open. IBM captures and analyzes the data that powers all of the Grand Slams, as well as the digital platforms that extend the experience to fans around the world.
