• US Open

Cilic stuns Federer to reach US Open final

Marin Cilic described his US Open semi-final victory as 'the best performance of my career' © AP

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The US Open will crown a new grand slam champion on Monday after five-time champion Roger Federer followed Novak Djokovic to the exit in the semi-finals at the hands of Marin Cilic, who stunned the No.2 seed and the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd with a 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory.

You have to go back to the 2005 Australian Open for the last time a grand slam final did not feature Federer, Djokovic or Rafael Nadal. But shortly after Kei Nishikori's historic four-set victory over the world No.1, Federer made another slow start at Flushing Meadows - only this time he was not allowed to recover.

Federer had survived two match points at a grand slam for the first time in his career against Gael Monfils in the quarter-finals but there would be no escape against Cilic, who was the better player throughout the windy one hour, 45-minute contest.

"Amazing day for me, I feel amazing," Cilic said in the on-court post-match interview. "To be able to play like this I never dreamed of - I think this was the best performance of my career."

Roger Federer struggled to impose his game on Cilic, who bulleted returns back at him throughout the match © AP

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Almost inevitably, the focus has been on Cilic's serve since teaming up with former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic in 2014. It is vastly improved but his first delivery misfired too often against Federer, leaving the overlooked facets of his game - not least the Croatian's return - to steal the show.

Time and again Federer was forced to field flat, skidding balls around his feet. When he did get into the points, Cilic was more than happy to trade blows from the baseline and picked off the 17-time grand slam champion in 12 of his 23 forays to the net.

A break in the fourth game was enough for the No.14 seed to capture the first set, and he followed up with another at the start of the second. By the time he had clinched a two-set lead shortly after the hour, Cilic had won 93% of his first service points; Federer, in contrast, had won just 37% of points on his second delivery.

The crowd did what they could to roar Federer on early in the third as he brought up his second break point of the match, sealed with a driven backhand down the line. But Cilic responded immediately, forcing Federer off-balance once more with more bulleted returns and breaking once more to move within two games of victory at 4-3.

Federer forced Cilic to serve for the match at 5-4, and the world No.15 rose to the task in a manner that must have made Ivanisevic proud. Three aces took him to match point, before a backhand winner sealed victory and a place in his first grand slam final alongside fellow debutant Nishikori.

"I think that's gong to be a sensational day for both of us," Cilic said. "I am just going to enjoy, be happy and try to win."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd