ATP Moscow: Marin Cilic against Aslan Karatsev for third title
The Croatian Marin Cilic is in the final of the ATP World Tour 250 tournament in Moscow, as is the local hero Aslan Karatsev, who is two in a row.
by Stefan Bergmann
last edit: Oct 23, 2021, 09:07 pm
There is still a chance that a local athlete will be able to lift the winner's cup at the ATP World Tour 250 tournament in Moscow. Despite the failure of number one Andrey Rublev in the round of 16, the number two of the indoor hard court event Aslan Karatsev is a local hero in the final. The 28-year-old defeated his compatriot Karen Khachanov 7: 6 (7), 6: 1. The final opponent of the Russian will be Marin Cilic, who is ranked six. The Croat won against the Lithuanian lucky loser Ricardas Berankis with 6: 3, 6: 4.
Cilic already victorious in 2014 and 2015
Karatsev had to fend off four set balls in the first round before shifting up a gear in the second section and giving his three years younger counterpart no chance. The man from the North Caucasus is playing a very strong season, having reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open and also won his first title at the ATP World Tour 500 event in Dubai this year. “It means a lot to me. I've been to this tournament many times, the final that I'll play tomorrow will be something special for me, ”said the right-hander in the subsequent interview.
Cilic had barely had any delicate moments to survive in his semifinals against Berankis. The 2014 US Open champion won the lawn tournament in Stuttgart in June this year, making the final in Moscow the second final of the current season for the former world number three. In the head-to-head of the two, Cilic leads 1-0. The Monegasse by choice prevailed this year in the first round of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati 7: 5, 6: 3. Cilic has already won the ATP tournament in Moscow twice. In both 2014 and 2015, the 33-year-old prevailed against the Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in two sets.