Milos Raonic

[sheva]

Raonic named ATP Newcomer of the year

Montreal, November 19, 2011 –The ATP World Tour announced on Saturday that Milos Raonic (Thornhill, ON) has been named Newcomer of the Year for 2011 as part of the Tour’s annual awards. The announcement was made in London, England where the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals will be contested beginning on Sunday.

The award, which is voted on by the players, is given to the player who, based on his ranking move in 2011, has made the biggest impact on the ATP World Tour. Raonic began the season ranked no. 156 in the world and reached a career-high ranking of no. 25 in May. The 20-year-old Canadian beat out fellow rising stars Matthew Ebden, Ryan Harrison and Bernard Tomic for the distinguished honor.

Raonic enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2011. He reached the fourth round of the Australian Open in January before capturing his first ATP singles title in San Jose and reaching the final in Memphis the following week during the American indoor hard court season in March. Despite missing significant time this summer because of a hip injury and subsequent surgery, Raonic still reached two more semifinals and one quarter-final in his first full season on Tour. With his no. 25 ranking in singles, he also became the highest ranked Canadian man in tennis history.

Past winners of the ATP’s Newcomer of the Year award include Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, Patrick Rafter and John McEnroe. Germany’s Tobias Kamke won the award in 2010.

http://tennisconnected.com/home/2011/11 ... -the-year/

[Art]

Milos Raonic: The 20-year-old jumped from No. 156 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings at the start of the season to No. 31 on 14 November 2011. After compiling a 4-6 match record in 2010, he went 31-19 in his first full season on the ATP World Tour. He became the first Canadian to claim a tour-level title in 16 years, winning San Jose without dropping a set (d. Verdasco), and the following week reached the final in Memphis (l. to Roddick).

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Fans/Fan-Fa ... -2011.aspx

[jaccol55]

[Saboteur]

Świetna decyzja

[DUN I LOVE]

2011 w liczbach

Ranking: 31
Bilanse meczów: 31-19
Tytuły: 1 (San Jose)
Finały: 1 (Memphis)
Zarobki: $674,966

[jaccol55]

Obszerny wywiad z Milosem, przeprowadzony przez Tennis Magazine.

Magazine Tennis interviews Raonic

Spoiler:

Magazine Tennis interviews Raonic



The Dec. 2011 issue of France’s Magazine Tennis features an extensive sit-down with Milos Raonic, done during his passage through the Masters 1000 event in Bercy.

Raonic, obviously, is of huge interest to French tennis fans since he’ll be the biggest obstacle to their country’s quest for the 2012 Davis Cup when Les Bleus travel to Vancouver for the first round vs. Canada in February.



Here’s an Open Court translation of parts of the interview (it might sound a little awkward at times, since the original interview would have been conducted in English and translated into French for the magazine – and now re-translated back into English). But the gist is there.

Tennis Magazine: Milos, you are THE revelation of 2011. At this season ends, what first comes to mind?
Milos Raonic: Of course, the two images that come back to me spontaneously are Australia and San Jose. They are the two biggest moments of my season. After that, it wasn’t all positive. I’m thinking obviously of my injury. That was a tough thing to overcome. But I’ll still put the Australian Open first. It will remain the first significant result of my career.



When I arrived there, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew I had done good work during the winter period, and that it would pay off during the year. But I didn’t expect that it would pay off so soon. The fact that I saw that my work and my good feelings translated into competition gave me the confidence that I brought into the next tournaments – notably to San Jose. I knew, there, that I was able to play very well and to beat the best.

TM: When you arrived in Australia, you knew you had put in the work. But did you also know that you were capable of producing such good tennis?
MR: I knew that I could reach that level during the season. But maybe not quite as soon. You can never know how long it might take to put that work into practice. Before this year, I had played only four or five matches on the main tour. So I couldn’t really measure myself against the other players. Because that, too, is tennis: how you feel is one thing, but if the others are better, you lose.



That was sort of the unknown for me. And I was pretty surprised to realize that, in fact, I had reached that level so quickly.

TM: Was there one moment where you felt you were there?
MR: I felt it in Australia. During the offseason, I had the chance to train with very good players, notably going 7-6 in the third set with (Nicolas) Almagro during an exhibition in Spain. So I knew that I could. But an exhibition and a Grand Slam, that’s not exactly the same level of pressure … But I saw in Australia that it was falling into place. I particularly got the proof after beating (Michaël) Llodra. As long as I was in the tournament, I wasn’t thinking about all that but after, when I had a few days off, I realized that something had happened.



TM: You could speak of a sort of “click” during that match against Llodra?
MR: The “click” was in Australia, although I don’t know if we can point to one match in particular. I had played the tournament in Chennai before. I was playing pretty well but something was still missing. I got to Australia pretty early; I had a week to prepare well. Then I played the qualifying where everything still wasn’t perfect. But despite that, I felt that I was getting more powerful with each match. I played well against (Bjorn) Phau in the first round, I served and returned well against Llodra in the second round. I was starting to get more solid from the baseline. … That gave me confidence, and mostly it helped me figure out how you had to go about beating the best.



TM: After which, you had that stretch in San Jose and Memphis where you were nearly unstoppable. That must have been a heady feeling …
MR: Quite, yes (smiles). In Australia, I played one tournament after another without having a second to think. I remember, after my win in San Jose, doing the press conference, and a half-hour later I was on my way to the airport to catch the flight to Memphis. I arrived there around 5 a.m.; I slept a few hours and practiced in the afternoon. Basically, I was caught in a bit of a whirlwind. For the body, it wasn’t the best use of time but for the spirit, it was something else, because it didn’t leave me any time to get wrapped up in everything that was happening. There were, all of a sudden, a lot of new things in my life, in my career and, in the end, I was pretty satisfied with the way I was able to manage everything.

TM: What new things, for example?
MR: Following up one tough match with another, against top-level players. That had never happened to me. And, the travel. The Futures and Challenger circuits are organized so that the players travel as little as possible between tournaments, to save money. Here, in less than two months, I had done Chennai, Melbourne, Johannesburg, San Jose, Mexico for Davis Cup … Basically, I went around the world. I tried to put the fatigue aside to take advantage of my momentum.



TM: Can we say that the fatigue caught up with you, notably during the clay-court season where your results weren’t as good?
MR: Actually, I thought I played pretty well on the clay, a surface on which I hadn’t played much. I didn’t quite know what to expect. I needed to find reference points on this surface and that’s why I played three tournaments back-to-back in April. I won quite a few matches and then, when came the Masters 1000 in Madrid and Rome in May, it’s true that I was a bit tired. Overall, I thought my clay-court season was positive. But I took some lessons from it for my scheduling next year.



TM: Since we’re talking about ambition, do you have concrete objectives, or dreams, in terms of results of ranking?
MR: I’m not there yet, because I consider myself still recovering from my injury. As well, I’m still a developing player and I have progress to make. I owe it to myself to understand that, even if I hate losing and I want to win everything. In time, I think I have the potential to reach the top 10.

TM: We remember that fall on the court against Gilles Muller at Wimbledon. Was that where your injury happened, suddenly?
MR: Actually, I had already had the injury for a while, and that fall just sped things up. From there, surgery was unavoidable. Basically, it repaired a bit of damaged cartilage on the inside of the hip (I don’t quite know the exact medical terminology). Quite a few players have had it, like Nalbandian and Hewitt recently.



TM: Let’s come back to more positive things. Many players and observers agree that you’re a future champion. For example, after he beat you in Tokyo last year, Nadal said he was very impressed with your game. What does it feel like to hear that?
MR: It’s always great to hear that kind of comment. But it’s not because people think it that I will automatically get there. I’m looking at the road I have left.

TM: In what areas of the game?
MR: In a lot of areas. I have to continue to work on my serve. I know that might seem strange because it’s probably my best weapon, but I can still improve it. I must improve my play at the baseline, my return of serve, my movement … In fact, I can improve in just about every area and that’s a positive feeling.

TM: How and when did you start working with Galo (Blanco)?
MR: I met him last year, in March, through Steven Diez, a young Canadian player who was part of Galo’s academy. We agreed to try it out together during the fall in Tokyo, and then at the Tashkent Challenger, which I had to pull out of because of injury. After that, I spent some time at his home in Barcelona, where he has his academy. You have everything you need there: clay courts, hard courts, everything you need…



TM: The Spaniards have a reputation for being very hard workers. With a Spanish team, is it the same for you?
MR: I don’t think I worked harder, but I worked differently; the work was perhaps better adapted to my characteristics. Working hard was never a problem for me. But it was a matter of finding the right way to work.



TM: Is it true that not long ago, you were extremely nervous on the court?
MR: Uhh … yeah! I panicked pretty quickly, I got very frustrated, I wasn’t able to stay focused. And not only did I start playing less well, but I lost all lucidity. I beat myself, and I helped my opponent. It was long a pretty critical thing for me, and was the subject of long discussions with Galo. I had to do a lot of work on myself to improve on that.

TM: Canada will host France next February, in the first round of Davis Cup. Are you already starting to think about that tie?
MR: For the moment, we’re mostly happy to be back in the World Group. It doesn’t happen that often; this is only the fourth time. I think I’ve done quite a bit for Canadian tennis this year. People were following my results, and we get the feeling that tennis got a little bit more important, that things are moving a little. We have to capitalize on that.
I take that to heart. As well, I wasn’t able to play in Canada this year because our Davis Cup ties were on the road, and I was injured during the Masters 1000 in Montreal. Also, I really enjoy Davis Cup. I haven’t played a lot of ties, but I’m hooked. It’s completely different from normal tournaments and it’s the only time of the year where you’re not alone.
I’m really excited about this first round. I know the French players pretty well, I get along with most of them and I’ve played a lot of them this year. Since my return (from surgery) I’ve played Llodra in Shanghai, Monfils in Stockholm, Benneteau in Bercy. We can’t get away from each other!



TM: That said, you weren’t born in Canada since, as we know, you’re originally from Montenegro. Despite that, you’re pretty patriotic?
MR: Of course. It’s important to me to defend the Canadian colours. And I don’t just do it in tennis. I might now follow hockey as much as the average Canadian, but I support several Canadian teams. I’m a big fan of the Toronto Raptors. On top of that, I love my country, simple as that. It’s a magnificent country, the people are really welcoming. And in this period of economic crisis, Canada is a model because it’s one of the most table countries. Basically, it’s a country with a lot of great things. And so yes, I’m proud to be Canadian.



TM: What part of your personality is Canadian, and what part is Montenegrin?
MR: They say Montenegrins are intelligent, and maybe that’s why I was pretty good in school (smiles). I think I’m nice, and respectful, which are two qualities most Canadians have. You know, getting back to Canada, it’s a pretty cosmopolitan country. There are a lot of different communities and everyone lives together pretty well. Maybe that’s why I’m so open to different cultures. Wherever I go, I feel at home. For example, a lot of players don’t really like going on the Asian swing. I adore going there. And, because of my path, I’m partial to other languages. Because I spent a lot of time in Montreal, I speak a little French. Well, not enough to do an interview as long as this one! (laughs)
Beyond that, I’m a real perfectionist. I’m demanding and critical about myself. It’s something my parents passed on to me.



TM: But you learned to play in Canada?
MR: Yes, when I was about 8. No one in my family played. I started playing street hockey, but there were tennis courts near my house, and it was my father who suggested I try. I don’t really know why. But it was a good idea …

http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2011/1 ... ws-raonic/

[robpal]

AIRCEL CHENNAI OPEN 2012
Raonic Reaches Third ATP World Tour Final


Milos Raonic has a 1-1 record in finals.

Canadian Milos Raonic advanced to his third ATP World Tour final on Saturday at the Aircel Chennai Open.

The fourth seed, who received the 2011 ATP Newcomer of the Year award, defeated second seed Nicolas Almagro of Spain 6-4, 6-4 in 73 minutes.

Raonic hit 10 aces and dropped four points on serve in the 35-minute first set. The 21 year old went onto convert his second break point opportunity at 30/40, 4-4 in the second set, before saving three break points in the next game. He struck 17 aces overall.

It snapped a five-match losing streak against Top 10 opponents (4-8 overall). The World No. 31 will have a first tour-level meeting on Sunday against either top-seeded Serbian Janko Tipsarevic or Japanese qualifier Go Soeda.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... Final.aspx

[robpal]

#2) Chennai 2012



R32 wolna runda
R16 Victor Hanescu (ROU) 6-1 6-4
QF Dudi Sela (ISR) 7-6(4) 6-3
SF [2] Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 6-4 6-4
F [1] Janko Tipsarević (SRB) 6-7(4) 7-6(4) 7-6(4)

[Jacuszyn]

Wszystko fajnie, ale Milos w semi pokonał Almagro w stosunku 6-4 6-4.

[DUN I LOVE]

Wszystko fajnie, ale Milos w semi pokonał Almagro w stosunku 6-4 6-4.

Dzięki.

Od jutra można oczekiwać lawiny newsów z kanadyjskich źródeł.

[Jacuszyn]

Patrząc na różnicę czasową, to można się wysypu spodziewać jeszcze dziś.

[Saboteur]

Naszło mnie na mały wywód na temat szans Milosa w przyszłym sezonie. Tytuł w Chennai nastraja bardzo dobrze na przyszły sezon. Mnie ucieszyło utrzymanie kondycji przez ponad 3 godziny, czego nie było np. w meczu z Roddickiem w Memphis, no i oczywiście fakt nie utracenia serwisu w całym turnieju . Psychicznie Milos oczywiście wytrzymał, ale powiedzmy sobie szczerze - Tipsa to nie jest godny przeciwnik dla Raona pod tym aspektem. Milos nie startuje w Sydney, i bardzo dobrze. W Indiach miał wystarczająco dużo meczów, grał od początku (no prawie ) do końca. Teraz nieco o występie w AO. Jeśli w losowaniu będzie szczęście i Milos utrzyma dotychczasową formę i nie będzie spiny (wątpię aby była), liczę na ćwiartkę. W ćwiartce będzie różnie, pewnie Top4, ale i tu mam nadzieję na jakiegoś emocjonującego Tajczyka (robpal, uwielbiam to określenie ). Potem bronimy tytułu w San Jose, będzie bardzo ciężko - nie dość, że Andy chce podtrzymać passę co najmniej jednego tytułu w każdym roku, to mamy nieobliczalnego Monfilsa który jak będzie w formie pogoni towarzystwo jak to było np. w Sztokholmie. No i oczywiście Tomić, który może zajść daleko. Potem jeszcze Memphis, aby był progres w rankingu fajnie by było, gdyby Raon obronił finał sprzed roku. W marcowych mastersach będzie dużo punktów do zdobycia, bowiem tylko 3 r i 2 r... Potem pożyjemy, zobaczymy . Oby się nie przyplątała jakaś wredna kontuzja, to już będzie pięknie ... Oby było jeszcze w tym sezonie więcej takich radości, jak ta po ostatniej piłce dzisiejszego meczu z Janko .

[Wąski]

AIRCEL CHENNAI OPEN 2012
Raonic Wins Marathon Battle For Title


Milos Raonic celebrates winning
his second ATP World Tour title.

Fourth seed Milos Raonic picked up his second ATP World Tour title on Sunday at the Aircel Chennai Open with a hard-fought 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 7-6(4) victory over top seed Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia.

Raonic earned $71,900 in prize money and 250 South African Airways 2012 ATP Ranking points with victory in three hours and 14 minutes, while Tipsarevic picked up $37,860 and 150 points.

"It is only my second title," said Raonic. "It is an awesome feeling. I created a lot of opportunities... one in each set. Tipsarevic took it away in the first set. But I took my opportunities in the second and third. My serve is a big factor in my game... in 99 per cent of my matches. My job is to take care of my serve."

Tipsarevic came under pressure at 1-2, when he saved four break points, but didn't suffer any problems thereafter. Raonic dropped just three points on serve and hit 10 aces in his first six service games en route to the tie-break. Tipsarevic took a 5-3 lead in the tie-break, which proved decisive to clinch the 61-minute set. Raonic had dropped four points on serve overall.

In the second set, Tipsarevic got himself out of trouble on three occasions. From 15/40 in the first game and by winning four straight points from 0/30 at 2-2 and 15/40 at 3-3. Raonic almost fell to 3-5, but saved two break points with big winners to keep the set on serve.

Once again, a tie-break was needed. After the first couple of points were exchanged, Raonic took control by opening up a 4-1 lead. He levelled the score on his second set point opportunity, having his 13 aces and won 30 of 42 service points in 69 minutes of high-quality action.

In a close decider, Raonic saved two break points in the first game. Tipsarevic saved one at 3-4, 30/40. In the third tie-break of the final, Raonic's greater service potency reaped dividends. He gained a 5-0 lead and soon tasted silverware for the second time (2-1 overall).

Raonic hit 35 aces and 76 overall at the ATP World Tour 250 hard-court tournament. The 21-year-old Canadian won all 48 of his service games in four matches and also saved all 14 break points he faced during the week.

He is the first player to win an ATP World Tour title without dropping serve since Roger Federer at the 2008 Gerry Weber Open in Halle (49 games). Raonic is now 5-8 lifetime against Top 10 opponents.

"Guys like Milos are special players," said Tipsarevic. "It was a great game of tennis. Nobody knew till the end who would win. Unluckily for me it was I who lost. It was just a matter of a few points here and there. Hopefully next time I will get the better of him."

Tipsarevic drops to a 2-6 record in singles finals. Later in the day, he teamed up with Leander Paes to win his first ATP World Tour doubles title.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... revic.aspx

[jaccol55]

RAONIC COMMITS TO 2012 CAMPBELL'S HALL OF FAME TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS


Recent Chennai titlist Milos Raonic
will make his debut in Newport in July.

The 2012 ATP World Tour season got underway this past weekend and last year's ATP Newcomer of the Year Milos Raonic set the tone for another exciting year ahead by defeating World No. 9 Janko Tipsarevic and No. 10 Nicolas Almagro to capture the season opener title at the Aircel Chennai Open in India. While the tennis season may still be a ways off in the minds of many New Englanders, fans have a lot to look forward to at the Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships as Raonic, now World No. 25, has committed to play, joining World No. 17 John Isner as the early commitments to the field.

"No doubt, Milos Raonic is one of the most exciting rising stars on the ATP World Tour. We are glad to see his season off to a great start, and we are quite pleased to be able to welcome him to Newport in July," said Tournament Director Mark L. Stenning. "With Milos Raonic and John Isner already committed to the field, fans can anticipate a great week of tennis, and we're looking forward to announcing more top players as well."

Born in Montenegro and raised in Canada, Raonic is Canada's No. 1 player and he made his Davis Cup debut for the country in 2011. This year will be Raonic's first main draw appearance in Newport, where he played in the qualifying rounds in 2010.

The Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships will be held 9-15 July, 2011 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. The event is the only grass court pro tournament outside of Europe and the only men's ATP World Tour event in the Northeast. Tournament tickets are on sale now on http://www.tennisfame.com or by calling 866-914-FAME (3263). In celebration of this exciting start to the season, an "Early Bird - Early Rounds" ticket offer is available from now through 22 January. To save 10% on all tickets for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday sessions, use promo code EARLY2012.

In addition to a week of pro tennis, the Campbell's Hall of Fame Tennis Championships will feature great special events, highlighted by the 2012 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, 14 July.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... Event.aspx

[robpal]

Milos Raonic Wins Chennai: Is He Now a Dark Horse for the Australian Open?

I hadn't seen Milos Raonic prior to last year's Australian Open, where he made it to the fourth round, beating Michael Llodra and Mikhail Youzhny in the process.

In February, he kept the momentum by winning his first title in San Jose and beating players such as Gael Monfils, Fernando Verdasco (twice), Mardy Fish and narrowly losing his second final in two weeks to Andy Roddick.

Within the course of a month, Raonic advanced from 152th to 37th in the ranking and lay the grounds for why he was chosen as ATP Newcomer of the Year in 2011.

Clay was a first time for him and he didn't have much success there and from Wimbledon onwards, his season was riddled with injuries.

Today, he is back to full power and just won his second ATP title, beating Janko Tipsarevic 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4) in a match that featured no breaks. He improved his record against top 10 players to an astonishing 5-8.

What initially impressed me with Raonic was not just the gigantic serve and the forehand to back it up. Rather, it was his composure under pressure.

Faced with a seasoned veteran like Fernando Verdasco in his first ATP final, Raonic did what he does best: held his serve and edged out the tiebreaks, much to the dismay of Verdasco, who didn't regard it as real tennis.

Today, he started the third-set tiebreak with an ace and raced to a 5-0 lead.

Raonic is 'only' 6'5" and it thus four and five inches shorter than fellow ace masters, John Isner and Ivo Karlovic. At 6'5", he's more in the category of Robin Söderling (6'4"), Tomas Berdych (6'5") and Juan Martin del Potro (6'6") and this is crucial for his movement and return game.

While still by no means great, Raonic's return game is already better than Isner's and Karlovic's. And while his backhand, especially the slice version of it, still leaves a lot to be desired, he is very capable of hitting winners from both wings.

As he just turned 21, was injured for a big part of the 2011 season, moves fairly well, hits a very big forehand and a big, but inconsistent backhand, there's no reason to believe he can't improve this aspect of his game further.

He will need to if he wants to be more than to become a player around top 10.

His other assets; the serve, the composure, the forehand and the backhand are enough to get him there.

A guy who can serve a 117 mph second-serve ace down the T, as he did against Janko Tipsarevic, has got to be dangerous for any opponent. He rarely dips below 130 mph on the first serve, unless of course he chooses to go for a spinning ace. And he often goes above 110 mph on his second without that leading to double faults.

In the Chennai final, he fired up 35 aces against a more than decent returner like Tipsarevic. He averaged 19 aces per match in the tournament or 11 aces per set.

When your opponent serves around two aces per service game, not counting all the unreturnables or sitting returns you are forced to hit, there's only so much you can do. This week, he wasn't broken once in 48 service games.

And that is what makes Milos Raonic interesting at the Australian Open.

Last year, he had to work his way through the qualifying rounds. This year, he will be seeded around 25th as his ranking will shoot up further with his win in Chennai.

A daunting third-round opponent for any player and the Big Four will be praying to avoid him. Perhaps none more so than Rafael Nadal, who's always been troubled by players who take away his rhythm and refuse to rally.

If John Isner can take Rafa to five sets at Roland Garros, what can Raonic do at the Australian Open? We're about to find out.

While I would be quite surprised if Raonic makes it beyond the quarters, I can certainly see him making another fourth round or even the quarters. And a big upset or scare on the way.

An injury-free Raonic should be able to have a couple of deep runs at the slams this year and make his way into or around the top 10.

If that guy improves his return game, the rest of the tour better watch out. Because service-wise, he's almost unbreakable.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1015 ... alian-open

[robpal]

Canadian tennis phenom Milos Raonic finds his priorities

Time doesn’t weigh on the broad shoulders of Canadian tennis phenom Milos Raonic, but he’s learned not to burn himself out on the court.

He’ll take on both the Olympics in London and the Rogers Cup in Toronto in back-to-back weeks this summer and is happy to tackle both. But he won’t overdo the stress he puts on his body.

“Last year’s off-season I did well but this year’s off-season I did a lot better,” said Raonic, speaking of a winter program that improved his agility, speed and mental games.

“Not only will the mental game help me get through the big points, but I’ve worked on my technical and my tennis ability as well. That definitely took pressure off the mental side as well.”

It will be a busy season with Davis Cup play, the Olympics and ATP World Tour stops. He’s 21 and a brawny 6 foot 6. He’s gifted with one of the most powerful serves in the game. “But I don’t think I’ll go more than three weeks at a time. … The focus is going to be playing my best tennis when it comes to big tournaments. I see the effect that taking time off has on my tennis.”

Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., has overcome a hip injury. A winter of training his agility and speed has placed Raonic as tennis’s superstar in training.

The agility work was on anticipation and accelerating fast in his first two steps when returning serves.

“Most of last year, in returning first serves, I was winning around 15 per cent of the points. Last week it was above 30 per cent,” Raonic observed on a conference call last night. This year, he won’t just stand in the middle waiting for a good shot by an opponent but will anticipate.

He jumped up to No. 25 in the ATP rankings this week after winning the Chennai Open, his second career victory on the tour, with 35 aces. It placed him – at least temporarily – in fourth spot among 2012’s money winners. Legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal actually are tied behind him.

He goes after winners. He’s not bold enough to say he deserves to be in front, but neither does he believe in being a follower.

It was at the Australian Open where his pro career took off last year. He had three matches at the Chennai Open in India and qualifiers at Australia to get his game ready. This year, he comes to the first Grand Slam event of the year next week as the 23rd seed. That helps, both in terms of self confidence and game strategy.

“It does help out a lot. … In the third round, I can only meet someone seeded between nine and 16, so it makes a difference. My aspirations aren’t just to have a good tournament but to compete right to the end.”

Raonic said he’s not intimidated by top-10 players. “I have a sense I can compete with them. I have the level; I just have to put the things together. I know [top-10 players] they’re a better player than me … but tennis is anything on a given day. I just go out there and just try to do the things I need to do. … “The quicker I get good, the happier I’ll be. It’s obviously better to be at the top sooner than later. After that, it’s about levelling out, doing what you can to maintain. Then, it’s about improving – you can’t just get to a level and stop there. You’ve got to keep improving. They top guys are always getting better. It’s constant progress and development. My work’s not done.”

He said he gets better and better with more matches. He said playing in Australia is fun and that he has superstitions based on last year – “where I eat, staying on the same floor in the same hotel, staying together as a team.”

As for the Olympic Games in London (July 29 through Aug. 5) followed by a Rogers Cup chaser in Toronto (Aug. 4 through 12), “I’d do both for sure. Both are great opportunities. In tennis we play many, many times as back-to-back weeks. … There’s no doubt in my mind that if I can do well in the first one, I’d be looking to run with it.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/m ... le2298260/

[jaccol55]

Raonic ready to serve notice in Melbourne


Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., hits a ball into the stands upon winning the Chennai Open.

Milos Raonic returns to the Australian Open as the 23rd seed following a meteoric rise in the rankings that earned him 2011 ATP Newcomer of the Year honours. Fully recovered from hip surgery and brimming with confidence after winning the Chennai Open last week, the Thornhill, Ont., native with a rocket of a serve is a much improved and more focused player than he was at this time last year, when he became the first qualifier since 1999 to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open. Raonic spoke at length during a conference call about his preparedness for Melbourne -- and for the 2012 season in general:

On changes in off-season regime

MR: We worked more specifically. Last year, I think there was a big broad general that needed improvement in my game. So we worked more volume and more basic stuff just to raise the level of my base, of my fitness and my tennis, whereas this year we didn't do as much volume off the court. We did as much volume on the court. But off the court, we did more specific stuff, more explosive stuff, more weights, all this kind of stuff, because I felt I already had the endurance and all that. It was just a matter of getting quicker, getting more agile and faster, especially coming back from the hip surgery. So this was a big focus. And then, when it came to tennis practice, we worked a lot on the return game and a lot on the baseline game and especially being able to dictate more with my forehand.

On improving mental toughness

MR: It was something we spent a lot of time working on -- just trying to get control of the point as early as possible, not hesitating and trying to take things into my own hands. Obviously, there are some certain parts of the match where you just want to make your opponent play. But most of the time, especially during the first week, it's hard without too much confidence, it's hard to judge this. Your goal is to play your game and stick to it ... The main thing really that we did speak about was, when you start the year, you start from a fresh sheet, you start with zero points and it's what you create out of that year. To not rush. Eventually, it's going to kick in. And fortunately, it started off well right away [in Chennai] because I knew I did the right work and I knew it came together and it just all came together in competion quite early.

On winning so early in season

MR: It's surprising in the way that you don't go out there expecting that. If you do and you fall short, it's a really demoralizing way to start the year. I knew that the possibilities were there, for sure, because I felt last year's off-season I did well but this off-season I did a lot better. I felt the level was there. I think I made big strides in improvement. Not only the mental game was going to help me get through the big points. But I also thought my technical and my tennis ability was going to help me as well. So that definitely took some pressure off the mental side as well.

On being seeded 23rd in Australian Open

MR: It's a positive thing. It does help out a lot. There's a big difference between being seeded from 25 to 32 [and] seeded 17 to 24 because, in the third round, as a 23 seed, I can only play [opponents] seeded between 9 and 16, so it definitely makes a big difference. It's good thing, but in a way it's not a thing I think about too much. My aspirations aren't just to have a good tournament. My aspirations are to really compete for the tournament all the way to the end and I feel I can. Obviously, things are going to have to come together, but I feel I have the ability to.

On competing with Top 10 players

MR: I believe I can compete with them, in the sense that I know I have the [talent] level. For me, I just have to put the things together. Obviously, a better player than me, if we play a lot of times, probably they'll still turn out on top, they'll probably beat me more times than I'll beat them, but that's the beauty about tennis, it's anything on that given day and the goal is just to be better than them on that day. I really just go out there and just try to do the things I need to do and I don't think about who I'm playing. I think more about what I need to do and what I can do and what my strengths are.

On surpassing last year's Australian Open success

MR: I'm not really getting ahead of myself. I know the things I need to do and I know that I'm just going to keep getting better and better with more matches, so I'm really just going after it as if it's my first time here. It's fun to play here and I have really good memories and I even have superstitions because of how I did last year -- where I eat and so forth -- but outside of that, when it comes to a tournament, you treat it like it's the first time and you treat every match as if it's a different situation. You can't really connect the things.

On superstitions beyond eating

MR: We stay at the same hotel. We stay all on the same floor together -- we stay as a team -- and where I eat, that's the only thing.

On improving agility

MR: Agility, it's more the anticipation and being quick on the first two steps. It's not only net work, but it's also a big part with the returns. I remember most of last year, if you take all of my numbers together, when I was returning first serves, I think I was winning only 15 per cent of the points, whereas last week [in Chennai] I was about 30. We worked a lot on this, making sure I'm geting quickly on the returns as wel as at the net, trying to anticipate and cover one side, not just only stay in the middle and let the ball go by me if they hit a good shot. Sort of, try to put more pressure on my opponents.

On rise up rankings

MR: Honestly, the quicker I get good, the happier I will be. It's obviously better to be at the top -- if I can be -- sooner than later. And after that, it's really just about levelling out and doing what you need to do to maintain. And once you reach that level, it's always about improvement. You can't really just ever get to a level and stop there. You've got to keep improving because, as you see with the top guys, they're always getting better and that's the main thing, really. If you get to the top, to stay at the top, it's that constant progress and development. So, for me, the quicker I get to the top, the happier I am, for sure. But then, my work's not done. There's still a lot of work to be done after that.

On being beacon for Canadian tennis

MR: It's fun. It's a good thing. It's obviously something I wish I had more time to embrace from the aspect of helping it grow. But I think right now, the most important thing is through results. I think that's how not only tennis is going to grow to the older population. But to the young kids, it's going to be inspirational and kids are going to see, as a Canadian, there is success in tennis. So really, right now, I focus on myself and I think it has a ripple effect [from] the fact that it does help Canadian tennis. Not only the young kids or club members. But also I think it helps the other pros that are playing. I thinks it's a good effect. It's fun to know this kind of effect is taking place. Not only that the tennis world and Canada is appreciating my tennis. But the general pop is appreciating it's taking its effect and it's a positive one.

On game plan for 2012 season

MR: We have a lot of the year pretty much figured out. Obviously, the Masters, the Grand Slams, the Olympics and the Davis Cup weeks are in there. And then you have weeks in between that you play. It's what you choose. I don't think at all this year I'm going to go more than three weeks at a time. Most of the time, it's only going to be two weeks at a time and one week, whether it's a training week or a rest week. But I'll do a few times three weeks. But the focus is going to be playing my best tennis at the big tournaments, where I wish I could have done a bit better last year.

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[Ranger]

Konferencja prasowa po awansie do trzeciej rundy AO 2012.

Spoiler:

Q. Was it a little patchy from both of you today?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah. I didn't serve too well, but I managed to take care of my serve, which is the most important part. He was doing a good thing. My goal was to make him hit a lot of volleys when he came in. He was doing a good thing there. I was struggling a little bit, I don't know why, when I was running forward. I don't know why I was struggling exactly.

At the beginning he started with the volleying. He started well and just put a lot more pressure on me because I know he can play really well. My goal was really just to stick with him till I get my opportunities.

I felt like I was getting a lot of even games, like 30‑All or 15‑All. I was really the one letting it slip up too many times so I was quite frustrated with it.

Q. How do you explain three or four breaks towards the end there?

MILOS RAONIC: I got a little tight, for sure. After he had the Love‑40 game, towards the end of that set, then I broke him after that. He was doing the right thing between making me just play and also putting the pressure on me. So he wasn't letting me get into any kind of rhythm on what to expect from him. So that definitely made it tough.

It's always tough to close out a match. Especially for me a big part of closing out matches is my serve. I don't think in the first game I put in any first serves. If I did, I put in one, and he returned it high and deep. In the other game, I think I was just tight after the first game.

Q. Did you feel him drawing you in throughout the match? He was egging you on a little bit. Was that something you were able to work on during the match? How frustrating was that?

MILOS RAONIC: It was frustrating in the manner that I felt like I was getting to a lot of them. I think I was thinking more about his positioning rather than hitting the shot. I think I was just, instead of focusing on that shot, because a lot of them I felt like I got there with quite a bit of time, I think I was just thinking more so about the next shot after. I think I was thinking too far ahead rather than that shot. After you miss a few, you start to doubt a bit when you go out there to hit them.

Q. You felt okay about your movement and getting to those balls?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I was moving well. I think I'm moving better than I did last year here. I think I didn't serve nearly as well as I did last year, or even last week. I'm just taking care of the things I need to take care of. I'm giving myself not always opportunities, but close, like half opportunities. I just need to find a way to commit more on those.

Q. You don't look ahead, but do you know what happens next?

MILOS RAONIC: I think the play the winner of Andy and Lleyton.

Q. How do you feel about that?

MILOS RAONIC: It's going to be good. I played one of them before. It was a really long match. Two quite opposite players, yet at the same time they both have a lot of experience. They know how to win.

For me it's really going to be, again, as always, every match it's about imposing myself whoever I play, taking care of my serve, looking to try to dictate on the return games when I get the opportunities.

I feel the thing I'm doing much better this year is returning a lot better, getting a lot more returns in, giving myself that opportunity. Not always converting after it, but it's something I'm still working on. I'm at least getting the point started, getting myself in the point.

That will obviously be the goal against either of the two that I play. I'm going to have to work on a few serves tomorrow and also work on the first shots after the return of the serve.

Q. What are your memories of that final against Andy? A lot of us recall the match point.

MILOS RAONIC: It was a match, it could have gone either way. I had set points in the first set tiebreak. He had match points in the set second tiebreak. Really we were both pretty much on the edge throughout the whole match.

There were a few breaks. But there was a lot of opportunities. I think the tennis level was quite good in that match.

But I think it's going to be quite different here. The courts do play a bit slower. I feel like I'm moving well. I haven't really watched what either of the two guys have been doing in their last rounds.

I've watched them over the years. I don't think really it's changed too much. But I remember in that match what I was doing was taking care of my serve and taking care of what I needed to do, trying to be the one imposing rather than being the one running around.

Q. You were running around on the backhand side to hit forehands today. Is that something you do consciously?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah. It's something we've worked on. It helps me dictate. It was a little tough because he has not an average slice. His slice goes a bit more into the body, so you have to give yourself even more space than normal. Then he was also mixing that dropshot in with it. So it was a little tough.

I never really got the feeling of hitting it a hundred percent. I felt there were sometimes opportunities and I was just hesitating, making him play another ball, where I would have liked to have gone for it more, gone through the ball more.

In the end of the day I think it's something that can help me because I can do a lot more damage with my forehand than my backhand.

Q. Do you like the fact that the pressure is now on them? First two matches you were supposed to win. You might even be the underdog.

MILOS RAONIC: I don't think that really matters. I think at the end of the day I play and I expect a lot from myself. Doesn't matter who it is. It doesn't mean I'm going to go out there, just because they're expected to win, free wheeling and swinging. No, I have my game and I just need to follow through with it.

Q. How were the conditions out there for you today?

MILOS RAONIC: They were good. It was more of a calm day today. It wasn't as windy. That definitely helps. I think really the environment was great. There was a lot of people. It was fun to play in. But I just wasn't really too pleased with specific parts of my performance. I think the way I managed to get through it is the most important part.

But I think I'm going to step out tomorrow, I don't feel really that tired at all, so I think I'm going to step out for a more intense hit tomorrow and work on a few things.

Q. In this tournament players are breaking their racquets on the court. What are your thoughts on that?

MILOS RAONIC: I have 10 racquets. I need to play with 10 racquets. I don't have any to break.

I don't know. I never really broke racquets too much often. But last year I played the first half of the year with three racquets and the second half of the year with four racquets. I think that also made me settle down with the breaking racquets.

Now I have a few more racquets, but I don't feel the habit or anger to break them.

Q. Do you know why players are doing that more?

MILOS RAONIC: A way of release. I don't know. I don't know who's been breaking racquets. I saw yesterday Marcos. I don't know who else has been doing it. I think it helped him out. He played a bit better after that.

I guess you got to ask them why they're doing it.

Q. How are you enjoying your time in Melbourne at the moment?

MILOS RAONIC: It's been good. We stay at the Hyatt. It's really a nice walk. You can walk close to the river. You have a lot of good restaurants on the side where the whole exhibition place is, down that walkway, a lot of great restaurants.

We really haven't been doing too much. It's been more focused on the tennis, just getting out for practices. I don't know why, but I've been sleeping a little more than usual since I got here. I've been sleeping so I haven't gotten out to do too much.

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[jaccol55]

[Ranger]

AO 2012: Wywiad po porażce w trzeciej rundzie

Spoiler:

L. HEWITT/M. Raonic

4‑6, 6‑3, 7‑6, 6‑3

Q. You said earlier today or yesterday, regardless of his injuries in recent past, Hewitt knows how to win. Is that basically the summary of tonight?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, he took everything into perspective and he made the best of it and he played I think quite a bit better than me and it showed.

He was more steady. He was more constant the whole match. I was more up and down. It's going to win the race that way.

I guess it's unfortunate in a way because I felt like I had the ability to win, but I just didn't do it.



Q. Would you say experience played a part?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, for sure. I'm only going to keep learning. As much as I hate to really look at anything positive out of today, it's a learning experience. There's so much to take from it.

I'm probably just a little stubborn at the moment now and I won't listen really to too much. But when the time comes, I'll open up my ears, I'll learn from it and hopefully be better next time.



Q. There's no way you can duplicate in practice what this experience is going to be like. What was it like compared to what you might have thought or hoped it would be like?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I started out nervous. I struggled more with him than I did with anything else really. He was keeping the ball very low.

He was hitting always constant pace and quite low. Even when he was defending, he was always defending low.

At the beginning I was trying a little too much just to go through rather than getting down and playing a little bit more conservatively and getting down and sort of hitting the ball the right way. I don't want to get into it technically, but...

And then after that, you could see his belief start to grow more and more. He's a very smart player. He knows how to win. When he smells a little bit of weakness, he just really pounces on it and he knows how to expose it. He's not the type of person that will give you really anything.

Doesn't matter how hurt he's been, how old he is, he's as much of a competitor as he ever was. He got me with that.



Q. How did you feel playing with the Australian crowd? A lot of support for Lleyton out there.

MILOS RAONIC: I thought it was actually fun. I thought the crowd was really respectful. It never really became an issue or anything like this. I thought it was fun.

I was surprised with the kind of response I was getting. So that was obviously fun.

Obviously I expected a lot of support for him. But you never felt like anybody was weighing down on your shoulders or anything like this. It was a really enjoyable moment and I wish I could have played better to enjoy it more.



Q. The smash you lost that break on, would you hit to again? Is that normally what you do in that situation?

MILOS RAONIC: That's what I do in that situation 365 days a year.



Q. When you say you got a lot to learn from this, will you watch the video and analyze it?

MILOS RAONIC: I have a long flight home. I'm pretty sure it will cross my mind a few times. I'll look at a lot of things. I'll sit down and talk with my coach.

I'm not going to really watch a video of it. I haven't watched a video of myself playing really since probably a few years now. I always watch little clips, but that's mostly technical stuff. Things I need to work on is more how I just deal with the moments. So it's more just talking about it, figuring it out, finding a routine that will work for me in the future.



Q. Do you think an environment like this tonight is going to help you in things like Davis Cup?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, for sure. It's a starting point for many things, not just Davis Cup. I hope to be in this kind of a situation many, many times. I'm only going to get better with it each time. I feel not only as a tennis player I'm going to improve with matches and practice and everything, also I'll improve with knowing how to deal with the situation, knowing what I can expect, and knowing especially when it's against an opponent like Lleyton that really competes well but also he thrives off the crowd and he loves to play here, just knowing how to sort of just block that out and focus strictly on the tennis.



Q. You kept your cool pretty well when things were slipping away. Did you struggle to do that? Are you at the point now where that was all right?

MILOS RAONIC: No, it was okay. I never really felt like I was going to have a single, like, outburst. It was hard to accept a lot of the things the way they were going. It never got close to me, blowing a fuse

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