By Ian Ransom

MELBOURNE, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Marathon man Marin Cilic bowed out of his first Australian Open semi-final on Thursday disappointed and exhausted but will take away a top 10 ranking and more confidence to beat the game’s best players.

The towering Croat, who upset quarter-final opponent Andy Roddick in his third five-set match of the tournament, appeared to have a chance of securing another shock with a win over a sluggish Andy Murray after taking the first set.

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The match turned on a sixpence, however, when the fifth-seeded Briton broke Cilic, the number 14 seed, at 2-2 in the second set with a spectacular passing shot, then powered home to win 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-2 at Rod Laver Arena.

“In the end I’m, of course, a little bit sad because of the final result. But overall I played the beginning of the match very good and with that part I was really pleased,” the 21-year-old Croat told reporters.

“I think later when he got back into the game in the second set when he broke me, I think he got a little bit of the momentum going and (it) wasn’t easy after to get back into it.”

TIRED CILIC

As Murray improved, Cilic, who had spent eight more hours on court than the Briton, conceded that fatigue had hurt his decision-making, but refused to blame it for the result.

“I would say my first serve percentage was low (at 56 percent), and I had to play a lot of rallies, which I didn’t turn out playing as well as in the beginning where I was a little fresher and a little closer to the ball,” he said.

“I was pushing him a little more and putting more pressure (on earlier in the match). Instead, (as the match progressed) he was doing that on me. It wasn’t easy to get out of those kind of situations. But I think he played well and he deserved to win.”

Cilic, who hovered around the mid-teens last year, will break into the top 10 when the new rankings come out next week.

“I wasn’t thinking that I’m going to get this far… I was going through the draw… very tough,” he said.

“Since that point to look at now where I made the semis, it’s (an) amazing experience and amazing result.”

Cilic’s effort was appreciated by the large contingent of Croatians ever-present at Melbourne Park, one of whom ran onto the court to wish him well after the match.

“I think the fan got excited and he wanted to shake my hand, so… I gave him a present,” said Cilic of the young man, who wore a shirt emblazoned in the country’s red and white colours.

Asked what he had given the fan, Cilic replied: “Nothing. I shook his hand… he was happy”.

(Editing by Ken Ferris; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)