CLASS MURRAY CUTS CILIC TO SIZE IN QUEEN’S RECORD HUNT
with a superb shot, dipping a forehand over the net and past Cilic’s racket.
The 27-year-old underdog hit back to win the second set 6-4 as Murray dropped his intensity.
Murray dropped serve at 3-3 and failed to break back in the next game despite having three break points.
Cilic – watched by his own ‘ supe r coach’, form e r Wilbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic – had seen five break points come and go before finally edging ahead in the set but was then swept aside by the World No.2.
Defending champion Murray played an outstanding final set.
He broke Cilic in the second game and after that conceded just two points on his own serve as he downed the former US Open winner and set up today’s s showpiece with Raonic, who beat Bernard Tomic in the other semi and is coached by McEnroe. Murray has reached the f final in his first tournament since getting back together with Lendl – who was great rivals with Supermac back in the 1980s. But he insisted: “I’m playing Milos tomorrow. I’m not playing J John. Ivan is not on my s side of the court. “O bv i o u s ly the c coaches are there in the b box, and they are doing their best to help us and prepare us but the only people on the court are me and Milos. It’s up to us how we perform out there.
“Coaches can’t serve for us at an important moment and they can’t hit a return for us on break point. That comes down to the player. I’m sure the media will make a big deal of it, but for me as a player it’s not that interesting.”
Murray is in a superb run of form, having lost only twice in the last 21 matches – both times to arch- rival Novak Djokovic.
Responding to Djokovic’s coach Boris Becker expressing surprise he had rehired Lendl, Murray said: “It really doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. It’s not relevant to the work I do with Ivan.
“I have had very good results working with him in the past and I see no reason why that can’t be the same again this time.”