Roddick, Tursunov Set for Semifinal Clash

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Three-time Artois Championships winner Andy Roddick booked a semifinal date with Russian Dmitry Tursunov after overcoming Croatian wild card Marin Cilic.

Roddick, looking for his fourth title in the past five years at The Queen’s Club, held off a spirited challenge from the 18-year-old Cilic – who defeated Tim Henman in the first round – to win 6-4, 7-6(5).

“It was tough out there today because you had a 15 or 20 mile an hour wind going at your back on one side,” said Roddick. “I just had some pretty bad concentration lapses in the second set...I was hitting the ball fine. I hit the ball better than I did yesterday I think. It was just – I need to bear down a little bit more.”

The American, seeded No. 2 this year, broke Cilic in the opening game en route to taking the first set, but had to come from 4-1 down in the second before winning the tie-break.

Tursunov sealed his place in the semifinals after coming from 4-2 down in the final set against No. 3 seed Fernando Gonzalez. The Russian, seeded No. 7, came through 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4 in a match twice delayed by rain.

The players were forced off court in the second set tie-break with Gonzalez needing just one point to level the match. He had to wait 45 minutes but duly delivered and immediately broke at the start of the decider, before rain again interrupted proceedings.

When they returned, Tursunov stayed in touch and a double fault by Gonzalez on break point at 4-3 proved costly in more ways than one for the Chilean, who smashed his racquet and received a code violation.

Tursunov took full advantage of his unsettled opponent, and moved into his first semifinal at The Queen’s Club after 1 hour, 48 minutes of actual playing time.

If history is anything to go by, the semifinal between Tursunov and Roddick is set to be a classic. Roddick won their first meeting in Indianapolis in 2005 7-6(6), 6-7(7), 7-6(5), but Tursunov gained his revenge in the semifinals of the 2006 Davis Cup, winning 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 17-15 in a marathon match lasting just under five hours on clay in Moscow.