Four-time Queen’s Club victor and defending champion Andy Murray booked his spot in the quarter-finals following a comfortable 6-3, 6-4 victory over Aljaz Bedene in 84 minutes on Thursday in what marked the occasion of 18th all-British match contested at Queen’s Club since 1977.
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However it was the 29-year-old who ultimately set up a semi-final with Marin Cilic, despite the tough workout he received from a second British opponent in as many days – following Thursday’s defeat of Aljaz Bedene.
Four time champion Andy Murray moved a step closer to history after facing a test at the hands of the ATP Next Generation’s Kyle Edmund.
He said: “I train with Kyle, I know how good he is”.
“The last 18 months or so he’s made big improvements, won a number of Challenger events and is winning matches consistently on tour now on all of the surfaces, which is very good”. I have felt that in practice and I felt that in the match. “I know when he has time, how well he can hit the ball, so, you know, I expected that”.
As reported in BBC Sport, he said: “Kyle’s the future of the game in this country”.
“It’s important that he’s given time to develop at his own rate and that too much pressure isn’t put on him”.
Andy Murray says fellow Briton Kyle Edmund has the talent to be a top-20 player ahead of their first ever meeting at Queen’s on Friday.
Marin Cilic, the 2012 champion, now lies in wait for Murray in Saturday’s semifinals. “I haven’t got to play loads”, Murray said.
After the match, Edmund himself noted that he is pleased with the way he performed and overall that it has been positive week for him.
“You fear the worst and then after a few seconds you feel a bit better. They work him very hard and if he is given time and space and there is not too much pressure on the results then he can go very far”. “You never like losing, but it’s been a very positive week”.
Murray took the first set despite being some way short of his best against Edmund, who appeared unperturbed by being unexpectedly awoken in the early hours of Friday to take delivery of a washing machine in his new flat.
Raonic will take on big-serving Bernard Tomic next, the Australian having ended Gilles Muller’s run with a 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 6-2 triumph.
Raonic comfortably saw off Roberto Bautista-Agut 6-1, 6-4, while Tomic outlasted 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-2.
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In the doubles, Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares lost in the quarterfinals 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4), 10-3 to Chris Guccione and Andre Sa.
