Raring performance: Record Queen’s crown in Murray’s sight

Defending champ battles into final with 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 win over Cilic

LONDON: Andy Murray moved a step closer to a record fifth Queen’s Club title as the defending champion battled into the final with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Marin Cilic yesterday.

Murray was pushed hard by Cilic but eventually subdued the Croatian in a tense two-hour semi-final. The 29-year-old Scot’s primary aim is to hone his grass-court game with Wimbledon starting in just over a week, but he would also relish passing John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, Roy Emerson and Boris Becker as the sole owner of the most Queen’s crowns.

“There have been many great players over the years who have played here so if I can do better than them and win a fifth title, then it is a good sign, but I’m certainly not taking anything for granted,” said Murray.



Reaching his fifth final of the year will be hugely encouraging for Murray in the week he reunited with coach Ivan Lendl two years after they originally parted ways.

The two-time grand slam champion looks to have got his painful French Open final loss to Novak Djokovic out of his system as he prepares for his latest attempt to emulate his historic 2013 Wimbledon triumph.

Murray landed the first blow with a powerful crosscourt forehand that left Cilic reeling and secured a break in the third game.



Cilic had Murray on the ropes when he earned four break points in the next game, each time the top seed came up with a big serve or searing groundstroke to get out of trouble.

And, playing with far more urgency and swagger than in his last outing against Kyle Edmund, Murray was on course to extend his dominance over the world number 13 as he broke again to clinch the first set in ruthless fashion.

Cilic, hitting with more thrust and accuracy, took advantage with a break in the seventh game and there was more frustration for Murray when the fifth seed saved three break points at 4-3 and then closed out the set.

After dropping the second set against Edmund on Friday, Murray had responded with a blistering surge to the finish line and he repeated the trick against Cilic to secure the crucial break in the second game of a gripping final set.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2016.

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