Cilic out-guns Querrey to reach Queen´s semis

LONDON: Marin Cilic remains on course for a fourth Queen´s Club final after the Croatian won his battle of the former champions against Sam Querrey on Friday.

Chasing his second Queen´s title, top seed Cilic eased into the semi-finals of the Wimbledon warm-up event with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 victory over 2010 winner Querrey.

The 29-year-old was beaten by Feliciano Lopez in last year´s final, but he could have a chance for revenge on Saturday when he is scheduled to face the Spaniard or Australia´s Nick Kyrgios in the last four.

It was business as usual for Cilic, whose serve has been virtually untouchable in his first three matches in west London.

Having buried Fernando Verdasco and Gilles Muller in a barrage of aces, the world number six inflicted similar punishment on fifth seed Querrey.

Cilic had won all five of his previous encounters with Querrey, including a semi-final success en route to the Queen´s title in 2012.

The Croatian also got the better of Querrey in the Wimbledon semi-finals last year and once again he was too powerful for the American.

Cilic, who finished as Australian Open runner-up in January, is running into form on grass just in time for Wimbledon, where he suffered an injury-plagued final defeat against Roger Federer last year.