• Aegon Championships

Murray battles back to beat Tsonga

Andy Murray will bid for a third win at Queen's on Sunday © AP

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Andy Murray overcame a sloppy display of serving to battle back from a set down to beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and book his place in the final of the Aegon Championships.

The No. 1 seed had real problems with his first serve and his second lacked bite, but he remained competitive and pounced when Tsonga's level dropped to secure a 4-6 6-3 6-2 win.

It took Murray only two points to unwrap the drop shot, which he executed to perfection. A couple of forehand errors gave Tsonga a sniff of a break in the opening game, but Murray countered the threat in impressive fashion.

A brilliant forehand return of serve earned Murray break points in the fourth game, but fine first serves from Tsonga staved off the threat.

Murray's serve went cold in the fifth game and Tsonga had break points, but he failed to convert any of the chances.

The serving malaise from Murray continued into the seventh game and he was made to pay. A weak second serve sat up and begged, which enabled Tsonga to drill the ball down the line for a clean winner. The Frenchman had the break point, but did not have to do anything to convert it as a double fault from the British No. 1 gifted it to the Frenchman.

Murray kept himself competitive in the second set despite struggling on serve and he found a way through Tsonga in the eighth game. The break sparked Murray into life and he produced a polished service game to force a deciding set.

Tsonga was rock solid in the first set, but as in the second he went off the boil on serve in the third game of the final set. A casualness crept into his play and Murray made a key break. Two games later, the worst of Tsonga was on display. He netted a simple ball, slipped on the turf one point later and a couple of further errors handed Murray a love break of serve.

Murray is looking to find fitness and form having skipped the French Open on account of injury. His movement improved as the contest developed and with the insurance of a double break, he closed out the match at a canter.

Murray will be bidding for a third win at Queen's on Sunday, but to do it he will have to overcome defending champion Marin Cilic who beat Lleyton Hewitt 6-4 4-6 6-2.

Their match began on the main court, but was bumped to the outside on account of a lengthy rain delay that threatened to wash out play.

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