Marin Cilic experienced Charles Dickens' "the best of times and worst of times" sentiment at the 2017 Wimbledon.
Cilic powered into his first career Wimbledon final only to shrink on the game's grandest stage breaking down in tears after the first set, taking treatment for a blister on his left foot after the second set and looking helpless to slow Roger Federer, who rolled to a crushing 6-3, 6-1, 6-4, conquest.
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The 29-year-old Cilic said learning from his Wimbledon final fail will propel him to a faster start in the Australian Open final rematch.
"In one way, I had to experience as one amazing experience in a final and one not so amazing. So I had both emotionally great and not great," Cilic said. "I think [the Wimbledon loss] gonna help me to stay focused on what I have to do. You know, now I have two days off. It's slightly different of the routine that I had during all the tournament, but I have to stay focused mentally and to be ready from the first point on the final.
"It's big motivation for me to play that final and obviously to win, and I'm feeling really good with my game, and so hopefully I can have a great match and also great energy on the court."
Of course, Cilic can also draw on Grand Slam final success.
Cilic dismissed Federer, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, in the 2014 US Open semifinal—his lone win in nine meetings vs. the second-ranked Swiss—en route to the US Open championship.
Federer, who rallied from a set down to defeat Cilic in London last November, said he respects Cilic's championship disposition on court.
"Even at the end of last year when I played him in the World Tour Finals in the round-robin, I think he lost all three matches maybe, but maybe should have won at least one of the first two and stuff," Federer said. "The way he came out against me was very much a winner's attitude: At least I'm going to take maybe one match home against Roger. I ended up playing a tough three-setter against him. I didn't feel I was facing a guy who had just lost two round-robin matches."
Federer slashed 17 aces and did not drop serve dispatching Cilic, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-1, in their most recent encounter at the O2 Arena.
"I like his attitude," Federer said of Cilic. "He's very professional. He's always very much the same regardless of whether he wins or loses. I like that attitude. On the court, he's a winner. You can see it on the way he behaves on the court. He's there to win and not just to be there. Sometimes you see other players you feel like they're happy to have made the quarters so far. I think he strives for more. I like those attitudes."
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