Marin Čilić advanced to the semifinals of the ATP 500 Dallas after defeating Jack Pinnington Jones 6-1, 6-4 in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Čilić’s win marks his first appearance in the ATP Dallas semifinals since September 2024. The match lasted one hour and 17 minutes, during which Čilić hit 16 aces and defended both break points. Pinnington Jones lost three service games and dropped nearly half of the points in his games.
The Croatian player secured an early break at 2-1 in the first set and added another at 5-1, closing the set in 31 minutes. In the second set, Čilić broke at 2-2 and held serve to maintain a one-break advantage, eventually serving out the match at 5-4. He denied two break points with four consecutive aces to complete the victory.
With the quarterfinal win, Čilić will return to the ATP top 50 for the first time since June 2023, joining fellow veteran Novak Djokovic among the oldest players in that ranking group.
