Cilic, the 2014 US Open Champion, smashed seven aces as he won the quarter-final match in just over an hour. The top seed is yet to drop a set in the hard-court event as he warms up for the year's opening Slam, the Australian Open, which starts in Melbourne on January 15.
Cilic will play Gilles Simon, 89th in the world rankings, in Pune's semi-finals after the Frenchman overcame Spaniard Ricardo Ojeda Lara 6-2, 6-3. It was a nervy day for South African number two seed Kevin Anderson, however. The big hitter had to come from behind to defeat Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin, ranked 74th in the ATP standings.