Spoiler:
Q. Three straight sets. Feel good?
MARIN CILIC: Feel good. I feel good, for sure. I played really well today from the start till the end. I didn't have too many ups and downs in the game. I felt that I was controlling the match. I felt that I was really mixing up the game well. Came to the net several times. I was feeling good there.
Returned really, really good today. Didn't miss many returns, so that was, I guess, very important, as Stakhovsky is a player that can be tricky. He can play, you know, even at the net well or mix it up the game with his slice.
He can be tricky obviously from the baseline, but I felt really good from the rallies. I think that was really, really, high-quality match.
Q. Was there a moment in the season where you felt it was clicking back to the level you are playing now? Seems like you are playing like when you won here.
MARIN CILIC: When I had my break in the clay court season, when I start playing back, I had a good week in Geneva. I felt I was playing well there.
Then I had a little bit of a disappointment in French Open.
Grass court season was actually pretty good. Played well in Queen's. Played well in Wimbledon.
Actually, during the summer I was more or less playing really good. I lost matches to Karlovic and to Monfils, and so matches that I can lose anytime of the year, for sure. In both of those matches I felt that I was playing actually pretty good.
So that was giving me good confidence for the other tournaments. You know, just feeling on the court I'm playing well. When I'm feeling like that, that's always giving me nice feedback on the court.
Q. Do you pay attention on which court you're scheduled on? You were changed today. As a former champion, were you surprised?
MARIN CILIC: Not really. There were a lot of American players today obviously playing. It was tough with the scheduling. I think they were also trying to put me in a similar schedule as Jack so that one of us don't play earlier in the day and the other one later. That was, I guess, a bit difficult.
I didn't have a problem changing from Court 5 to 17. More or less it was quite enough time to get ready.
Q. What do you expect facing Jack next?
MARIN CILIC: We played in Portland few weeks ago. Over there was tough match, five-setter. Jack played really well. I was even 3-Love in the fifth and he came back and won.
Definitely expecting a tough matchup. Jack can be very dangerous on the court. He's athletic guy. He can run down many balls. In the U.S. I guess that he plays even a bit better. He gets inspired with the crowd.
Hopefully I can keep my level of player.
Q. As a former champion here, do you feel the crowd remembers and was getting behind you today?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, yeah, for sure. I mean, obviously they always want to have little bit of spice and excitement in the matches, so that's always understandable. It was actually fun to see them giving support a little bit to Stakhovsky.
I felt they were giving me pretty good support and felt it was a really nice match today.
Q. Talking Davis Cup, do you think Ivo Karlovic will come back in the group? He seems to think he won't ever get a call.
MARIN CILIC: I don't know. I actually didn't talk with our captain about that. Hopefully Borna recovers. He had last two weeks tough time. Pulled out in Cincy and pulled out here. It's not easy.
I don't know, his knee is hopefully going to get better. We'll see with Ivo. Ivo hasn't played already for a while for our team. It's tricky, I guess, situation.
In one way you still want to keep the team that came to the semis and that did well so far in the season. But in the other way, obviously Ivo is playing great.
I mean, I think our captain needs to think about that a bit.
MARIN CILIC: Feel good. I feel good, for sure. I played really well today from the start till the end. I didn't have too many ups and downs in the game. I felt that I was controlling the match. I felt that I was really mixing up the game well. Came to the net several times. I was feeling good there.
Returned really, really good today. Didn't miss many returns, so that was, I guess, very important, as Stakhovsky is a player that can be tricky. He can play, you know, even at the net well or mix it up the game with his slice.
He can be tricky obviously from the baseline, but I felt really good from the rallies. I think that was really, really, high-quality match.
Q. Was there a moment in the season where you felt it was clicking back to the level you are playing now? Seems like you are playing like when you won here.
MARIN CILIC: When I had my break in the clay court season, when I start playing back, I had a good week in Geneva. I felt I was playing well there.
Then I had a little bit of a disappointment in French Open.
Grass court season was actually pretty good. Played well in Queen's. Played well in Wimbledon.
Actually, during the summer I was more or less playing really good. I lost matches to Karlovic and to Monfils, and so matches that I can lose anytime of the year, for sure. In both of those matches I felt that I was playing actually pretty good.
So that was giving me good confidence for the other tournaments. You know, just feeling on the court I'm playing well. When I'm feeling like that, that's always giving me nice feedback on the court.
Q. Do you pay attention on which court you're scheduled on? You were changed today. As a former champion, were you surprised?
MARIN CILIC: Not really. There were a lot of American players today obviously playing. It was tough with the scheduling. I think they were also trying to put me in a similar schedule as Jack so that one of us don't play earlier in the day and the other one later. That was, I guess, a bit difficult.
I didn't have a problem changing from Court 5 to 17. More or less it was quite enough time to get ready.
Q. What do you expect facing Jack next?
MARIN CILIC: We played in Portland few weeks ago. Over there was tough match, five-setter. Jack played really well. I was even 3-Love in the fifth and he came back and won.
Definitely expecting a tough matchup. Jack can be very dangerous on the court. He's athletic guy. He can run down many balls. In the U.S. I guess that he plays even a bit better. He gets inspired with the crowd.
Hopefully I can keep my level of player.
Q. As a former champion here, do you feel the crowd remembers and was getting behind you today?
MARIN CILIC: Yeah, yeah, for sure. I mean, obviously they always want to have little bit of spice and excitement in the matches, so that's always understandable. It was actually fun to see them giving support a little bit to Stakhovsky.
I felt they were giving me pretty good support and felt it was a really nice match today.
Q. Talking Davis Cup, do you think Ivo Karlovic will come back in the group? He seems to think he won't ever get a call.
MARIN CILIC: I don't know. I actually didn't talk with our captain about that. Hopefully Borna recovers. He had last two weeks tough time. Pulled out in Cincy and pulled out here. It's not easy.
I don't know, his knee is hopefully going to get better. We'll see with Ivo. Ivo hasn't played already for a while for our team. It's tricky, I guess, situation.
In one way you still want to keep the team that came to the semis and that did well so far in the season. But in the other way, obviously Ivo is playing great.
I mean, I think our captain needs to think about that a bit.
