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Sports

Murray to face Cilic for Queen's Club title

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

London, England – Andy Murray and Marin Cilic were semifinal winners on a rainy Saturday and will meet for the title at the Queen's Club.

Murray, the top seed and a two-time winner of this Wimbledon tune-up, rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, while the defending champion Cilic battled past Australian veteran Lleyton Hewitt, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

The start of play was delayed for about two hours because of weather before Hewitt and Cilic took Centre Court. After just two completed games, rain again halted play. Once the skies cleared, tournament organizers decided to play both semifinals at the same time to avoid a stoppage for darkness.

Murray won this title in 2009 and again in 2011, while Cilic captured the crown last year when David Nalbandian defaulted in the final. Nalbandian smacked an on-court advertising panel into a linesman, who suffered a gash on his leg as a result of an unfortunate racquet-wielding incident.

Hewitt claimed the Queen's Club title four times, taking three straight from 2000-02 before winning it again in 2006. The former world No. 1 knocked off Juan Martin del Potro in Friday's quarterfinals, but was unable to produce a second straight upset on Saturday.

Cilic broke Hewitt twice in the third and saved the one break point he faced in the decisive set.

Murray, who beat Tsonga for the 2011 Queen's title, broke serve once in the second set and twice in the third to improve to 8-1 all-time against the Frenchman.

The Scotsman will carry an 8-1 mark against Cilic into Sunday's finale. Murray earned a 6-4, 6-3 win over the Croat in the Miami quarterfinals earlier this year. Cilic's lone win against Murray came in the round of the 16 at the 2009 U.S. Open.

Murray is playing for the first time since retiring in a second-round match at the Italian Masters in May. He skipped the French Open because of a lower back injury to rest for a run at the Wimbledon title.

Currently ranked No. 2 in the world despite his recent absence, Murray will try for a third title in 2013 on Sunday. He won the Australian Open tune-up in Brisbane and also captured the Miami crown, while falling to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final.

Cilic is 9-7 all-time in finals, including a victory over Jurgen Melzer in February at Zagreb.

The 2013 Queen's Club champ will earn $115,000.