Cilic Cruises Past Japanese Opponent in Montreal
After a tightly contested first set, the Croatian veteran dominated the second, conceding just one game.
After a tightly contested first set, the Croatian veteran dominated the second, conceding just one game.
Marin Cilic (ATP-85) successfully opened his campaign at the ATP tournament in Montreal. In the first round on Monday, August 4, 2026, he defeated Japanese tennis player Sho Shimabukuro (ATP-94) with a score of 7-6, 6-1.
The first set was marked by solid serving from both players. Neither managed to break the other, so the decision came down to a tie-break, where Cilic was more focused and took the lead in the match. The second set painted a completely different picture. The Croatian played much more aggressively, which resulted in an early lead. He broke his opponent's serve three times - for 2-1, 4-1, and the final 6-1.
The match, which lasted an hour and a half, was characterized by a significant difference in unforced errors. Shimabukuro made as many as 33, while Cilic was far more precise with 18. Although the Japanese player served six aces compared to Cilic's two, the Croatian never lost his serve. Additionally, Cilic won 80 percent of points on his first serve, while his opponent won 70 percent.
This was the first meeting between the two players. In the second round, Cilic faces a tougher test - the 15th seed, American Frances Tiafoe. The good news for the Croatian representative is that he has won both of his previous encounters with Tiafoe.
