The serve arrives first, then the forehand, and by the time an opponent has read either the point is usually gone. That template carried Marin Cilic through a fortnight in New York in 2014 that still feels slightly improbable. He beat Roger Federer in a straight-sets semi-final and then took the trophy apart in the final, dismissing Kei Nishikori without conceding a set. It was his lone major, and he wore it lightly, a big Croatian who happened to be devastating on the days his rhythm held.
He should, on the balance of chances, have won more. The 2017 Wimbledon final was lost to Federer with a torn blister and a tearful medical timeout; the 2018 Australian Open final went five long sets, again to Federer, again just short. That run pushed him to a career high of world No. 3 in January 2018. What followed was a slower story of knees and comebacks, one of 21 career titles a reminder that longevity, in this sport, is its own kind of talent. Even Novak Djokovic knew the feeling of walking into that serve on the wrong afternoon.
Seventy-eight. That is how many places Arthur Fery climbed in the ATP rankings this week, from 114 to 36, and every one of them came out of a single fortnight at Wimbledon. Above him the other big move was a return: Alexander Zverev, who beat Fery in the semi-final and lost the final, is back at No. 2, the highest he has ever been ranked.
Ranking taleOne point. That is how close Thijs Boogaard, the 17-year-old Dutch wildcard ranked 779, came to beating Daniil Medvedev before the world No 8 escaped 6-3 4-6 7-6(6) in Rosmalen.
Match tale