NEW YORK: Defending champion Marin Cilic reached the US Open quarter-finals for the fourth time on Sunday with a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7/2) 6-1 win over France's Jeremy Chardy.
Cilic, the Croatian ninth seed, took his record to New York to 11 successive wins after capturing his maiden Grand Slam title in the city last year.
But the 26-year-old had to overcome an injury scare in the second set to stay alive in the tournament when he rolled his right ankle.
"I twisted my ankle in the second set but I tried not to let it affect my movement," he said.
"In the first few games of the third set, I was conscious of it but after that I didn't have trouble with it."
Cilic fired 23 aces and 52 winners in his win over Chardy, one of four Frenchmen in the last-16.
Four of those aces came in the third set tiebreak.
"I took the joker from Goran in the tiebreak," he said, explaining his inspiration from coach and big-hitting former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic.
He will face another French player in the last eight, either 19th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Benoit Paire, who put out fourth seed and 2014 runner-up Kei Nishikori in the first round.
"They are both dangerous players, especially Jo. It will be a tough match," said Cilic.
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