US Open Tennis 2014 Men’s Final: Top Storylines to Watch in Nishikori vs. Cilic

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: September 8, 2014

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History and a career-defining moment hang in the balance of Monday's final at Flushing Meadows between No. 10 Kei Nishikori and No. 14 Marin Cilic, one of the most unexpected Grand Slam finals in the sport's history.

Neither has ever reached a Grand Slam final, and Nishikori is the first Asian man to advance to a Grand Slam singles final in history. As ESPN Stats & Info records, the duel violently disrupts the current tennis timeline, too:



Beneath the bright lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium Monday evening, one man will seize history and a piece of momentum that may very well reshape the tennis landscape as we know it.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the top storylines to monitor as the two partake in the sure-to-be entertaining affair.

 

The Health of Kei Nishikori



Now 24 years old, those who know Nishikori's journey to date can be forgiven for being pleasantly surprised at his ability to make it this far while in good health.

Nishikori's quick-twitch style that owns the baseline and leaves opponents searching for answers also seems to do a great deal of harm to his stamina and health—a major reason why Monday is his first Grand Slam final.

Nick Bollettieri, who coached Andre Agassi, understands this best.

“He and Xavier Malisse and Marcelo Rios are the best shotmakers I’ve ever worked with,” Bollettieri said before the season, per Christopher Clarey of The New York Times. "If Kei Nishikori could stay healthy, he could be and would be right up with the big boys.”

Well, Nishikori is healthy, and here we are.

Thanks to an elite return game and that aforementioned speed, the Japanese star has taken down three top-five seeds. He went to five sets with No. 5 Milos Raonic, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (6), 7-5, 6-4, before another five against No. 3 Stan Wawrinka, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6, ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis

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