Cilic into first Wimbledon final at 11th attempt

Croatia's Marin Cilic reached his first Wimbledon final at the 11th attempt on Friday with a 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-5 win over America's Sam Querrey. The seventh-seeded Croatian, who was US Open champion in 2014, will face either seven-time Wimbledon winner Roger Federer or Tomas Berdych in Sunday's final. Cilic fired 25 aces and 70 winners past world No 28 Querrey, the man who ended Andy Murray's reign as Wimbledon champion in the quarter-finals. Cilic trails Federer 6-1 in head-to-head meetings and is level at 6-6 against Berdych. Whoever he faces on Sunday, he said he is ready for the challenge. Cilic is the second Croatian man to make the final after 2001 champion - and former coach - Goran Ivanisevic.

"It's unbelievable, especially the way this tournament unfolded. I was playing really great tennis from the first round"

- @cilic_marin pic.twitter.com/efw73oTzFh— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 14, 2017

Cilic took a 4-0 career lead over Querrey into Friday's semi-final, including a marathon 5hr 31 min win at Wimbledon in 2012, the second longest match in tournament history. There were signs that spectators were in for another long afternoon with no break points at all in the first set as the serve of the two 6ft 6in (1.97m) giants dominated. However, a Cilic backhand error off a second serve handed Querrey the opener, although the Croatian's concentration wasn't helped by a break in play when a woman collapsed in the crowd at 6/6 in the tiebreak. 

At an Open Era record 11th attempt, @cilic_marin reaches the #Wimbledon final... He beats Sam Querrey 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-5 pic.twitter.com/wKeBJt8yXs— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 14, 2017

Cilic was unable to convert break points in the first and fifth games of the second set but the pressure eventually told and he broke through for the set-deciding game at 4-3. The third set was equally tight, a break apiece in the third and fourth games with another tiebreak required. Querrey was a break to the good again in the fourth set, but Cilic clawed his way back to 4-4 before claiming victory with another power-packed forehand winner.