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London - Top-seeded Andy Murray stayed on course for a fourth title at Queen's Club by overcoming Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 on Friday to reach the semi-finals.
Like in previous matches this week, Murray struggled early against a solid opponent. Muller broke to lead 3-1 and Murray failed to convert two break points in the next game. The second set then went with serve until Murray finally raised his game and was able to dominate the tiebreaker.
He then broke early in the third, which was enough to decide the match.
Under pressure
Earlier, Gilles Simon reached his third semi-final of the year by eliminating third-seeded Milos Raonic of Canada 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
The seventh-seeded Frenchman surrendered the opening set on a single break of serve at 1-1, but in a 12-minute game at 2-2 in the second set he fought off three break points before breaking for a 4-2 lead.
Neither player earned a break point in the final set until at 5-5, when a netted backhand gave Simon the decisive break. He needed five match points to close it out in 2 hours, 18 minutes.
"I couldn't return any serve in for one set and a half," Simon said. "I had a lot of trouble to win my service game. I was under pressure every time. And then I don't know how it turns, a bit out of nowhere."
Let him dictate
Despite the loss, Raonic was happy with his first week of competition since undergoing minor surgery on his right foot to correct a pinched nerve.
"The tennis I thought was great," Raonic said. "The only thing I really have to be disappointed with is I wish I would have sort of gutted it out a bit more...tried to play on my terms. I was waiting for him too much and I let him dictate."
Simon will next play South Africa's Kevin Anderson, who beat Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-6 (7), 7-5.
