LIVE TEXT COMMENTARY (all times BST)
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606: DEBATE
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By Chris Bevan
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2200: Cilic starts by thrashing wildly at everything from the back of the court and getting the results you might expect. When he settles down, after taking practice swings on his forehand between points, he manages to save two set-points and gets a break-back point of his own. It's a big improvement on his recent form but it doesn't last and two mistakes on his backhand see him lose the initiative again. Del Potro hits back to take the set 6-3 and level the match at one-set all.
2156: Erm, no. JMDP's forehand is now doing all the damage - Cilic is on the backfoot and is in danger of being overpowered here, and the only thing he seems able to do in response is to make more mistakes. At 15-40, the Croatian sees a forehand fly long and Del Potro breaks to take his fourth game in a row and a 5-3 lead.
2152: Suddenly Del Potro looks a different player and, unfortunately for the 16th seed, so does Cilic. More mistakes from that forehand see the Argentine hold to lead 4-3 and this match could be about to turn on it's head. Can Cilic stop the rot?
2148: Hmmm, we've been waiting a long time for Del Potro to get a break-point... but, finally, he has one - after Cilic's forehand falls apart. Completely. Del Potro takes his chance too, after another mistake by the Croatian on that flank sees a routine shot fly wide. Not sure why his game has disintegrated butDel Potro won't care - he breaks to level the second set at 3-3.
2143: More problems for JMDP, who nets a backhand to go 0-30 down, and Cilic is unlucky to see a big forehand land a whisker out on the next point with the Argentine beaten. Del Potro needs to show some fight here, and does exactly that, taking the game by the scruff of the neck with some thumping forehands and wrapping it up by crashing a serve down the middle to hold. Cilic still leads 3-2 in the second set.
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2138: That big serve-big forehand-big smash combo is serving Cilic extremely well. Del Potro's backhand, in contrast, is still his worst enemy - he is not getting remotely close to breaking back. Cilic leads 3-1.
2134: Cilic is still going for everything, even on the Del Potro serve. It doesn't always work - particularly on his backhand - but he still gives JMDP something to think about before he holds. Cilic leads by a set and is still a break up at 2-1.
From tennisbynumbers on 606:
"Cilic is playing well, in particular the big points. He's always been talented but I've seen him stay tough during crucial times of his matches, impressive so far!"
2131: An easy hold for Cilic, to love, and he is well on top right now. The crowd are making some noise to try to get Del Potro going here. well, either that or they are just trying to keep themselves warm.
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2127: Crikey. Not the start JMDP needed in the second set, as he goes toe-to-toe with Cilic from the back of the court but makes a costly series of mistakes to go 15-40 down. Another double-fault, his second of the game follows swiftly afterwards, and he gifts that game to Cilic who breaks to go 1-0 up.
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2123: Oooh, a bit of a wobble from Cilic, who makes a rare forehand error to go 15-30 down. No problem - he hits a cracking inside-out forehand and a big serve down the middle to move to set-point. Then comes the rally of the match, with a net-cord and inch-perfect lob from Del Potro, followed by a rasping winner to take us back to deuce. There is no stopping Cilic's big serve though and he is soon on the attack again, wrapping up the set with a beautiful drive volley (my favourite shot) that JMDP reaches but sends his return a mile long. The first set is in the bag for Cilic, who takes it 6-4.
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2113: Cilic is working the court better too, moving in when he can and sending the big Argentine scrambling around the court. Del Potro holds, but Cilic will serve for the first set at 6-5 next.
2110: Cilic still on a crest of a wave, though, despite JMDP's best efforts. his serve and forehand remain a formidable combination and are enough to see him hold to lead 5-3. Meanwhile, Heather Watson seems to have stopped the rot, she is 6-5 up in the second set of her match and Beck is serving to stay in the match.
From messiisgod on 606:
"I think Cilic and JMDP are roughly level talent-wise, though JMDP's intensity is usually better. Interesting match."
2107: Del Potro's groundstrokes are not quite in gear but he is serving well enough now, straight into Cilic's body and not giving him a chance to wheel out that forehand. He holds, Cilic remains a break up at 4-3.
2103: The Cilic forehand seems to be on song so far, and it is JMDP who is making all the mistakes. The Croat holds to lead 4-2. Over on Court Eight, Heather Watson is struggling to finish off Annika Beck - she led by a set and 5-1 but the German has fought back to 5-4 and is back on serve.
From marcellt on 606:
"If Cilic plays like he did against Murray, he may win it."
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From jamesearlbond on 606:
"Am I the only one who thinks Cilic can win this match?"
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2049: Er, we still haven't had a point against serve. We have had a couple of rallies, but not much else to talk about. JMDP leads 2-1.
2047: Ha! Cilic replies in kind - four big serves and a couple of thumping crosscourt forehand winners to follow them up for good measure. He holds to love too.
2045: Hmmm. There certainly seems to be a bit of a breeze out on Arthur Ashe. It hasn't affected JMDP here, though, and he holds to love without any problems.
2042: Del Potro has got his bumble-bee outfit on today - Black shirt and shorts with yellow head and wristbands. He's first to serve and we are under way.
2039: Marin Cilic on his hopes of beating Juan Martin Del Potro: "I think I definitely have a chance. If I take positive things from my match with Andy Murray, I can put it in my next match and, of course, take advantage. Del Potro can play really well but I think I also have a game that can hurt him."
2038: Juan Martin Del Potro on playing Marin Cilic at this stage of the US Open instead of Andy Murray: "Well, Cilic has everything you need to be a good player - he is complete. But Murray is the number two in the world, and winning everywhere. So, maybe everybody is surprised but Cilic has very good weapons."
2037: Del Potro and Cilic are out on court on Arthur Ashe Stadium and warming up. No rain out there, but it's pretty blustery (I haven't got any sort of wind graphic) which could make things a tad tricky. On Court Eight, it's with serve between Annika Beck and Heather Watson in the second set of their girls' match.
2036: Rafael Nadal on his quarter-final opponent Fernando Gonzalez: "He played unbelievable all match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (in round four). Very good tennis, unbelievable forehands, so I know him very well. "He knows me very well. I have to play aggressive. If he gets control of the point with his forehand, it's almost impossible beat him. So I have to play aggressive, and make him uncomfortable in every shot."
2033: Fernando Gonzalez on playing Rafael Nadal: "Rafa has much more experience in this kind of tournaments, but I have a lot of confidence. I mean, I have to be worrying about myself only. I will try to play my best tennis, and that's it."
2031: Rafa v Gonzo should be a cracker too (from 0000 BST) of course. A special prize to whoever can tell me who Gonzo lost to the last time he reached the last eight of the US Open, in 2002. Any ideas? Too late, it was Sjeng Schalken, the flying (lanky) Dutchman with a huge (not to mention strange) serve.
2029: Del Potro has dropped only one set in his four matches so far, against Daniel Koellerer in round three. Cilic's progress has been almost as impressive, dropping just two - both in his second-round match against Jesse Levine. Mind you, Cilic did also win two sets 6-0 in that one so not sure what happened the rest of the time.
2028: No rain in New York yet, let's hope it stays that way...
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2026: JMDP is five days older than Cilic by the way - both turn 21 later this month, with the Argentine first to blow out his candles on 23 September. They've only met once before, at this year's Australian Open when Del Potro won in four sets in the fourth round.
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2021: Very much looking forward to both men's matches tonight. Del Potro and Cilic are the rising stars of the men's game, although JMDP is slightly ahead of the Croatian at the moment - he's seeded sixth and in his second successive US Open quarter-final, and reached the semis in Paris this year. Cilic? He's the 16th seed and in the last eight of a Grand Slam for the first time.
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2017: So, JMDP and Cilic will be on court in a matter of minutes - about 2035 BST.
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2007: Not sure how long this mixed doubles match will be - Carly Gullickson and the brilliantly named Travis Parrott have just seen a championship-point come and go against second seed Cara Black and Leander Paes. They still lead 6-2 5-3, so hopefully will be done and dusted sharpish.
2004: Lets hope the weather does hold, though, as we've got a couple of very tasty men's quarter-final ties scheduled tonight. First up (when the mixed doubles final is finished) is the battle of the 6ft 6in 20-year-olds, Juan Martin Del Potro and Andy Murray's conqueror Marin Cilic. Then comes a fight between two fantastic forehands - Rafael Nadal and Fernando Gonzalez. That one is under the floodlights from 0000 BST.
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