Marin Cilic slowly getting the attention he deserves

— -- "I don't think I stole the crowd. At the end, I used a little bit of emotions to pump the crowd at critical points. ... It was great, great atmosphere. I really enjoyed the match."

-- Marin Cilic, defending US Open champion, on his thrilling, five-set quarterfinal win against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

NEW YORK -- Quiet Marin Cilic finally got the attention of the fickle, star-conscious New Yorkers who assemble daily in Arthur Ashe Stadium, and he did it in a way they understood: with great theater.

Cilic, the No. 9 seed in this US Open, is well-respected. But he's done little to quicken the pulse of the typical US Open fan, even though he's played well and entered his Tuesday encounter with 14 consecutive wins here dating back to the start of last year's tournament.

Part of the problem: Cilic is a phlegmatic, 26-year-old late bloomer who has just one Grand Slam title to his name -- and an aversion to public demonstrations.

But the broad-shouldered, 6-foot-6 Croatian found a way to win the hearts of the crowd in this matchup of atomic serves and punishing groundstrokes. Tsonga, the charismatic, strapping Frenchman, was looking to become just the fifth active player (the Big Four plus Tomas Berdych) to have made at least the semifinals at each of the Grand Slam events.

Tsonga was a good bet to advance, not having lost his service once in 56 games through four rounds. But Cilic won the first two sets, then stood by patiently while the spectators helped inspire and lift Tsonga into a dead heat. Cilic wasted three match points in the fourth set but found his equilibrium and then put down the hammer late in the fifth set to walk off with the win in 3 hours, 49 minutes, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (3), 6-4.

Cilic did not feel at all slighted by the steady support for Tsonga, or feel that he's been undervalued or overlooked thus far at this event.

"They want to see longer match," Cilic said in his news conference. "That's always like it is. I didn't even mind, actually -- them cheering for Jo when I had some match points. I just kept my coolness.

"I felt huge respect from the tournament and people around and players around of his overall experience thus far at the tournament. I'm coming differently to the tournament and I'm feeling differently. I played several matches Arthur Ashe Stadium. I think there is no bad points anything about it. I'm just enjoying to play here."