Roger Federer vs Marin Cilic: Annabel Croft suggests player has hangover ahead of game
MARIN CILIC is suffering a hangover after crashing out the Paris Masters, according to Annabel Croft.
Cilic lost to French wildcard Julien Benneteau in the quarter-finals in Paris earlier this month in a match he should have won.
Benneteau is 35 and is preparing to retire from tennis but he stunned the former US Open champion with a straight sets win.
Cilic can't qualify for the ATP Finals semis after losing his first two matches against Jack Sock and Alexander Zverev. He takes on Roger Federer today.
Sky Sports pundit Croft said: "There's plenty of weapons he can bring out to the court but I feel there's a bit of a hangover where he played that awful match against Benneteau.
"He was very shaky, we joked about all that ball bouncing he does before serving but there's plenty of jitters about him on court.
"He is more than a match for anybody. He possesses so many weapons.
"He has a huge serve, he is very tall, he has good reach on the court and he likes to step in and dictate play.
"He doesn't want to be defending a lot which I think Federer will try and do to him. He will try to attack, use that slice backhand to mix him around.
"Federer doesn't like being moved forward to the forehand side. I know Andy Murray has played him very effectively in that department.
"He has a good kick serve, out to the backhand, up high to the Federer single-handed backhand."
Cilic and Federer met earlier this year in London for the Wimbledon final. Cilic struggled with blisters and ended up crying on court in a straight-sets defeat.
Croft added: "I think he's looking up quite a mountain today."
