For the first time in nearly a decade, a Grand Slam final didn't feature either Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic, but No. 14 Marin Cilic's performance in Monday's US Open final was as dominant as if one of the big three had been playing. 

Using his 6-foot-6 frame, he overpowered No. 10 Kei Nishikori in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 to claim his first ever Grand Slam title in his first major final appearance. It was the first US Open final since 1997 featuring two players making their Grand Slam final debuts. 

"I think my team has brought something special to me," Cilic, who last year at this time was serving a four-month doping suspension, said in his postmatch interview at Arthur Ashe Stadium. "Most important from all the things they brought me was joy in tennis and always having fun. I think I played the best ever in my life."

Despite the lobsided nature of the final, both men -- underdogs in their semifinal matches -- deserved their respective places. Cilic dominated 17-time Grand Slam winner and No. 2 seed Roger Federer in straight sets on Saturday, while Nishikori's path to the final included wins over No. 5 Milos Raonic, No. 3 Stan Wawrinka and a stunning win over world No. 1 Novak Djokovic. Nishikori's first two wins over top-5 players were each five-set marathons that extended well over four hours. 

All that running and excess energy used to get to the final may have finally caught up with him. Cilic toyed with Nishikori as he sent him sprinting back and forth, racking up 39 winners to Nishikori's 19. The combination of Cilic's speed (his serves averaged 114 MPH and occasionally topped 130) and agility overcame any advantage Nishikori had in the realm of defensive tactics, and his giant frame lent itself to numerous powerful groundstrokes. Nishikori's court coverage simply wasn't wide enough to answer Cilic's side-to-side volleys. 

Cilic took the first set in a tidy 33 minutes, while the next two sets took just 37 and 44 minutes, respectively. Nerves didn't seem to play a factor for the Croat, as evident by his 17 aces to just two double faults. He also broke Nishikori, Japan's first major finalist since 1918, five times, often at crucial junctures. Having been broken for the first time all match in the eighth game of the second set (up 5-3 at that point), Cilic responded immediately with a searing forehand to the far right corner to take the game and second set. It all but diffused any momentum Nishikori has earned. 

The third set went relatively smoothly for Cilic as well despite an uncharacteristic double fault in the final game. It didn't matter in the least. He had wrecked his exhausted opponent. 

While obviously not the end of the Big Four era (Nadal sat out the Open with a wrist injury, afterall), Monday's final capped the Grand Slam season with four separate winners taking home titles. World No. 4 Wawrinka won the Australian Open (his first Slam), while Nadal took the French Open and Djokovic beat Federer in the Wimbledon final. Cilic is only 25 and his natural power could see him edge his way into elite company. For now, he'll settle for his first career major title, a title he won in more than convincing fashion. 

"Everything I worked for and dreamed for came today," he said. 

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Marin Cilic won his first-ever Grand Slam. (Getty Images)