Andy Murray celebrated the capture his third Queen’s Club title defeating the defending champion Marin Cilic 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in a closely contested match interrupted by rain delays.
It was the Scot’s first tournament since missing the French Open, and ideal preperation for his forthcoming Wimbledon campaign.
Cilic won the first set, breaking for a 6-5 lead and fended off two break points to serve out the set. The fifth-seeded Croat, who won the title last year following David Nalbandian’s default by kicking a line judge, continued the momentum into the second set, but Murray had tightened up his service game and finally broke Cilic in the 12th game to level the match.
The deciding set saw some moments of brilliance from the top-seeded Murray as he increased the tempo and placed Cilic under huge pressure. He finally got his rewards and took the set 6-3 to win the match, with Cilic netting a forehand on match point.
Murray donated his winnings to the Rally Against Cancer. His close friend and fellow Briton Ross Hitchens was diagnosed with the illness six years ago.
“Ross is one of my best friends, so whether I won or lost, it wasn’t going to change the fact that we were still doing something really good,” said Murray, who moves into Wimbledon with a grass court title under his belt.
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