F rom the first swing of his racquet, Marin’s potential on the tennis court was immediately recognized. Davis Cup - Cilic form, Coric absence give India a chance against Croatia Ramkumar Ramanathan will play the opening day's rubber against World No. Marin Cilic beat Lucas Pouille in straight sets to secure Croatia's second-ever Davis Cup title.Cilic beat Pouille 7-6 6-3 6-3 to give them an unassailable 3-1 lead over hosts and defending champions France.France had taken the final into a third day when Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert won Saturday's "It's not every day that you become a world champion," 30-year-old Cilic said. But as I told the president I'm not from his world. Cilic, who led Croatia to winning the 2018 Davis Cup title, couldn't help his side at the inaugural Davis Cup Finals last November as an injury forced him to skip the event. The powerful world No.7 was relentless as he snuffed out any hope of a famous French fightback -- giving Pouille little chance of sending the final into a fifth rubber.Pouille, 24, did not have a single break point and despite pushing Cilic hard in the first set, he lost the last four points of the tiebreak and never threatened a comeback.Cilic wasted four set points when Pouille battled back from 0-40 down at 2-5 in the second set but with his own serve rock-solid he calmly moved into a two-set lead.The mainly French 22,000 crowd kept roaring their support for Pouille, but it was the Croatia contingent, decked out in their distinctive red and white, who would soon be celebrating.Cilic broke for a 3-2 lead in the third set and then closed in for the kill when Pouille served at 3-5. "This is the final staging of the team competition in its current format Cilic's victory on Sunday meant the scheduled fifth match between Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Borna Coric was a dead rubber.Coric won his other singles rubber against Jeremy Chardy, while Cilic put Croatia 2-0 up by beating Tsonga.Afterwards, France captain Yannick Noah, who led his nation to Davis Cup glory in 1991 and 1996 and again last year, criticised the changes to the event.The current Davis Cup format is being replaced by an 18-nation World Cup-style event to be held in Madrid in November 2019, with the International Tennis Federation having agreed a $3bn (£2.34bn), 25-year partnership with Kosmos, the investment group founded by Barcelona defender Gerard Pique.But a furious Noah, the last home player to win the men's singles at the French Open in 1983, expressed his displeasure to ITF president David Haggerty.

3:13. The Frenchman saved two match points from 0-40 but Cilic would not be denied and finished it off with a lob.Immediately the 30-year-old former US Open champion was swamped by a swarm of his teammates as Croatia could begin the party after emulating their triumph of 2005.Croatia's sports-mad President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic was among the fans at courtside to savour a landmark title which offered some consolation after France beat Croatia in this year's FIFA World Cup final. How much is the dream in dollars? "We have people who have decided it doesn't matter, I don't know if they don't know, or they don't care. Marin is celebrated among the Croatian tennis greats and led his country’s team to a Davis Cup title in 2018. You can see the fans are so passionate and they are here enjoying themselves. "For us it's a dream come true, for this nation. In Croatia it's going to be incredible too. Tennis Empire 2,207 views. 37 Marin Cilic… It's the truth. "It's not every day that you become a world champion," Cilic, draped in a Croatian flag, said on court. "Everyone has a right to feel differently but I feel I owe the Davis Cup because it means so much to me as a player, as a spectator. You can see the fans are so passionate and they are here enjoying themselves. 28 Borna Coric. Marin Cilic's inclusion makes it tough for India in Davis Cup; Marin Cilic’s inclusion makes it tough for India in Davis Cup The only big name missing from the Croatian squad is current world no. Marin Cilic beat Lucas Pouille in straight sets to secure Croatia's second-ever Davis Cup title. It's the way I feel," Noah told reporters. "We talk about money but how much is it worth for the ball boy, who is from here, to shake the hand of Lucas Pouille and have a picture with him? In Croatia it's going to be incredible too. November 7, 2019 - Marin Cilic announced on Thursday morning that he would not play in the Davis Cup this month in Madrid, to be held from November 18-24. "When people tell us it's still going to be the Davis Cup, they are lying. Marin Cilic vs Sumit Nagal DAVIS CUP 2020 Highlights - Duration: 3:13. "For us it's a dream come true, for this nation. Nonetheless, the European side will be a tricky opponent for the Indians. Marin Cilic (Photo credit: Mario Ćužić/HTS) ZAGREB, 7 March 2020 – As he has done so often throughout his career, Marin Cilic has lead Croatia to an important Davis Cup victory.