LONDON: Top seed Marin Cilic overcame a potentially tricky meeting against Sam Querrey with an emphatic 7-6(3), 6-2, win in the quarter-finals of the Fever-Tree Championships.
The Croatian world No.6 headed into his match as the overwhelming favourite. Not only did he have a 5-0 head-to-head record against the American, he was the first top 10 player Querrey has played this year. The ruthless display saw Cilic lose just three points behind his first serve (30/33) as he didn’t face a single break point in the match. Furthermore, he produced 32 winners to just 18 unforced errors.
In what was a meeting of two big-hitting servers, it was a tiebreaker that decided the outcome of the opening set. A regular occurrence when the two clash on the tour. Cilic, who missed out on a set point opportunity for 6-4, redeemed himself with a clean forehand return of the Querrey serve in the tiebreak. That sole break was enough of a margin to see the Croat clinch the opening set as he closed it out with the help of a Querrey error.
Surging in momentum, the former US Open champion continued to pounce on his rival. Dismantling Querrey’s serve by returning his shots with interest. A four-game streak at the start of the second set saw the Croat dominate proceedings to the frustration of the former champion. Querrey illustrated glimpses of his best, but consistency eluded him. Enabling the top seed to close out the match with ease. Firing an ace down the centre of the court after just 78 minutes of play.
Making his 12th consecutive appearance at Queen’s this year, Cilic will play either Feliciano Lopez, who defeated him in last year’s final, or Nick Kyrgios in the semifinals.
