Del Potro Outhits Cilic in Power Duel PARIS - Marin Cilic of Croatia hit two incautious shots against Juan Martín del Potro of Argentina in the first set at Roland Garros on Friday and paid for both of them. On the first, a forehand, he tried to wrong-foot del Potro and seize the net, but del Potro was too quick and smashed a backhand cross-court winner as punishment. The second shot was a reply to a topspin forehand that bounded near the baseline. Cilic, seeded 21st, hit it thoughtlessly and it went long. All of a sudden, the first set was gone. Del Potro, the 2009 United States Open champion, is seeded ninth here. He proved too powerful and flexible, winning, 6-3, 7-6 (7), 6-1, to advance to the fourth round of the French Open. The outcome was not entirely unexpected. Del Potro had won six of the previous eight meetings between the two men, who both are 6 feet 6 inches. Del Potro, his left knee bandaged, stalked the court like a hunter. Cilic was a gazelle, leaping and running, staying alive. The Argentine was hoping to finish the match quickly to be fresh for a next-round match against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, who took nearly four hours to defeat Ken Anderson of South Africa on Friday. Cilic was helping, in a way, hitting another incautious shot as he served at 2-4, handing del Potro a short ball that he pounded cross court for a winner. Here, Cilic had to be cautious. Another break and del Potro would be serving for the second set as well. That is what happened and del Potro led, 5-2. In the eighth game, Cilic double-faulted to lose one point, slapped a backhand into the net to lose another, and stood two points from a two-set hole. Here, he grew cautious and clever, chipping a drop shot del Potro could not reach and outlasting him in a long rally that earned him the game. Then del Potro faltered. Serving for the set, at deuce, he rammed a forehand into the net to face a break point, then allowed Cilic to lure him to net, where he jammed a forehand up the line and watched Cilic sweep it cross court and away to take the game. Suddenly it was del Potro who seemed careless, allowing Cilic to drive him from side to side with low shots that del Potro slapped into the bottom of the net. This led to one of the oddest aces hit thus far in the tournament. Cilic won the 10th game with it, slicing his serve up the middle of the box. Del Potro skipped sideways to hit a forehand but at the last minute let it go and watched it bounce past him for a winner. But del Potro worked his way to a set point in the 10th game, standing back as much as 15 feet behind the baseline to receive serve, then pummeling the ball on the ground and, in a stunning display of flexibility, racing to net and reaching high above his head to slap a Cilic lob with his backhand into the open court. Again, Cilic helped del Potro's cause, double-faulting to set up another set point. This led to a barrage of strokes, possibly a dozen in all, ending in a del Potro mis-hit. Cilic held the ad, then lost it. This was a furious segment of the match. Both men racing to the sides, slamming shots deep and then angling the returns. It was top-notch tennis and it held throughout the remainder of the set. Del Potro acquired but lost two set points and Cilic, now ferociously alert, pushed his way into a tiebreaker. As they squared off, Del Potro immediately pulled ahead, 3-0 and 4-1. But Cilic scratched his way back on del Potro errors and led, 6-4. Then, serving for the set, he missed a forehand and turned over the serve. Soon it was 6-6, then 7-7. When Cilic drove a backhand wide, del Potro regained the serve and stood at the line for his third set point. Cilic finally yielded the tiebreaker, 9-7, after still another lengthy rally. Del Potro now held the upper hand. It was 7 p.m. and there was still light for a final set. Suddenly, the sun broke out from behind clouds and flooded the court with bright light. The final set was a cool down struggle, both men struggling to maintain the high level of play that brought them there. Cilic faltered early, falling behind, 4-1. Del Potro was faltering, too, driving two shots long to face a break point. But he saved it and then, with a daring drop shot, took a 5-1 lead. Cilic was facing a wall of points with little way of reclaiming them. On match point, Del Potro slammed a return to service to Cilic's forehand and watched the ball fly off his foe's racket and out of bounds. It was over after 2 hours 32 minutes.