The evening party at the Court Philippe-Chatrier lasted only an hour and 45 minutes. Cilic played with conviction, dominated the swings with aggressive tennis and didn’t allow a single breakpoint. The number 23 in the world recorded no fewer than 33 winners.
‘Fantastic match’
“It was a fantastic game from the first to the last point. Maybe it was one of the best matches of my career,” said the winner afterwards. The 33-year-old Cilic, winner of the US Open in 2014, will face Medvedev’s compatriot Andriy Rublev in the quarterfinals, who saw Italian Jannik Sinner give up in the third set with a knee injury.
Last year, Medvedev won a match at the grand slam tournament in Paris for the first time in his career. He eventually lost in the quarterfinals. In the run-up to Roland Garros, he underwent minor back surgery. Medvedev can now prepare for the grass tournament in Rosmalen, which starts in a week.