Cilic rolls into Dallas semis (his 68th on Tour!) to continue resurgent run
Marin Cilic beat Jack Pinnington Jones 6-1, 6-4 on Friday evening and will play the winner of the match between top seed Taylor Fritz and Sebastian Korda in the next round
Marin Cilic Dubai 2025 Imago/psnewz
Veteran Marin Cilic continued his vintage form on Friday evening at the Nexo Dallas Open, easing past British qualifier Jack Pinnington Jones 6-1, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals.
With his victory in Dallas, Cilic solidifies his legacy as one of the most consistent performers on the ATP Tour, moving into fourth place for the most tour-level semifinals among active male players. The 37-year-old Croat now boasts 68 semifinal appearances, trailing only Novak Djokovic, who leads with a staggering 200, followed by Alexander Zverev with 79 and Gael Monfils with 73. Cilic’s latest milestone allows him to edge further ahead of fellow veteran Stan Wawrinka, who currently sits in fifth place with 64 semifinals.
The 37-year-old Croat, currently ranked world number 61, needed just 74 minutes to dismantle the younger opponent, utilizing his massive first serve and clinical baseline depth to dominate the encounter from the outset.
Cilic’s experience was on full display throughout the match. He broke Pinnington Jones in the second game and never looked back, winning 85% of his first-serve points and losing only 13 points on his serve games.
This victory marks Cilic’s third consecutive win in Dallas without dropping a set, following hard-fought triumphs over rising American star Learner Tien and Ethan Quinn. His path through the draw has been a testament to his fitness as he seeks to return to the top 30.
“Definitely a huge accomplishment” he said on the on-court interview. “Another great milestone. Definitely a huge sign for me and my team. We’ve been working really diligently the last several months. It pays off. You have to wait for your chances and be patient in this sport. It’s not easy sometimes. You’re playing well, maybe you’re not winning. But you just have to keep that focus. That was it. I trained well and believed that good things are gonna come.”
For Pinnington Jones, the tournament remains a breakthrough despite the loss. The world number 181 reached the final eight by scoring a massive upset over fourth seed Flavio Cobolli and winning a three-set thriller against Eliot Spizzirri.
