MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Top seed Marin Cilic of Croatia saved three match points in a third-set tiebreaker against Igor Sijsling of the Netherlands to advance to the quarterfinals of the U.S. National Indoor Championships with a 7-6 (2), 3-6, 7-6 (7) victory Thursday.
Cilic, the world’s 12th-ranked player, battled Sijsling for more than 212 hours and saved four break points in the 11th game of the third set to take a 6-5 lead. Cilic squandered a match point with Sijsling serving at 5-6 in the third set.
In the tiebreaker, Sijsling double-faulted on his third match point of the tiebreaker and lost the match when he netted a forehand from behind the baseline.
The win moved Cilic, who won his ninth ATP Tour title two weeks ago in Zagreb, into the quarterfinals against fifth seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan, who advanced with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over qualifier Donald Young of the U.S.
