Milos Raonic

[Sempere]

Raonic Records First Win At Home Tournament



Top Canadian Milos Raonic notched his first Rogers Cup win on his third main draw appearance at his home tournament, beating Serbian Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-4 on Tuesday evening in Toronto.

"It feels good. I'm proud with the way I competed, with the way I played," said Raonic. "I did a lot of important things well, and I have some space for improvement for my next match."

The 16th-seeded Raonic capitalised on his two break points, going up 5-3 in the first set and 2-1 in the second. He served out the match at love to improve to a 30-12 season record. The 21 year old, who resides in nearby Thornhill, had missed last year’s tournament, sidelined for a few months after undergoing hip surgery.

Raonic could next face Olympic gold medallist and two-time Rogers Cup champion Andy Murray, who opens against Italian qualifier Flavio Cipolla on Wednesday. At the London 2012 Olympics Tennis Event last week, Raonic had fallen in the second round to Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in a 25-23 decisive set - the longest in Olympics tennis history.

"I think I was more effective on the return of serve, the break points that I created," said Raonic, comparing his performance Tuesday to that in the marathon match. "Other than that, tonight I did a lot of things well and I wasn't in too really many pressure moments. I felt like I wasn't making too many sloppy mistakes."

World No. 10 Juan Monaco recorded his 250th match win as he defeated Canadian wild card Vasek Pospisil 7-5, 6-4 in one hour and 50 minutes. He countered losing his serve four times by breaking the 104th-ranked Pospisil six times.

Monaco, 28, moved into the Top 10 of the South African Airways ATP Rankings for the first time last month after reaching the Stuttgart final (l. to Tipsarevic) and winning his first ATP World Tour 500 title in Hamburg (d. Haas).

American No. 1 John Isner prevailed against Spaniard Pablo Andujar 7-6(5), 7-5 in the last match Tuesday. Andujar double-faulted to concede the break at 5-all in the second set, and Isner finished off the match with three straight aces, finishing with 17 to take his season total to a tour-best 721.

The 27-year-old Isner is making his debut in Toronto, after making his two previous Rogers Cup appearances in Montreal. He is through to the third round for the first time at this ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament.

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

[Jacuszyn]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q8cIF3X ... ure=relmfu[/youtube]

[DUN I LOVE]

Toronto: pierwszy ćwierćfinał Masters-1000.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efGmQaQs ... ature=plcp[/youtube]

[Joao]

13.08.2012

Najwyższy ranking w karierze: 19

[jaccol55]

twitter:

@milosraonic (Milos Raonic)
Throwback. My grade 8 graduation!!!! http://www.whosay.com/milosraonic/photos/213597

[Rodżer Anderłoter]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZuxYZJD ... ature=plcp[/youtube]

[DUN I LOVE]

Świetny filmik. Gra Milosa systematycznie się poprawia, co wreszcie znalazło przełożenie w poważnych turniejach. Dwa kolejne ćwierćfinały (Toronto, Cincinnati) otworzyły szeroko drzwi do Top-15. Od jutra Milosa powinno dzielić zaledwie 5 punktów od tego grona, a na US Open nie broni nic. Powodzenia, trzymam kciuki.

[robpal]

I widać też, co młody jeszcze musi poprawić.
Świetnie się spisuje w meczach z teoretycznie lepszymi, gdzie nie ma nic do stracenia. Z presją sobie jednak radzi, gdy spotkanie jest do wygrania, ale trzeba na to mocniej popracować. Oba wtopione QFy wynikały wg mnie właśnie z nieodpowiedniego podejścia do meczu, niż z braku umiejętności.

[Ranger]

20.08.2012

Najwyższy ranking w karierze: 16

[Ranger]

Wywiad po zwycięstwie w I rundzie Us Open 2012:

Spoiler:

Q. Just another day at the office?

MILOS RAONIC: I wish. (Smiling). No, just happy with the outcome and that I managed to sort of make the most of that moment and just find a way to win. Everything else I've gotta hope gets better in the next round.

Q. Few little battles with yourself today?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I just felt like a lot of basic stuff I wasn't doing. I don't think I struggled with my serve that much a long, long time. A lot of double faults, and it wasn't just one double fault per game. It was when I double‑faulted I double‑faulted consistently a couple times in a row, so that made my job a lot more difficult and it gave him a little bit more freedom at the same time.

Q. You have had some tough losses, long losses at the slams this year, so it must have been good to get a five‑setter?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, no, it was good, especially coming down from a break in the second set. It was not looking even in my own eyes at that point like the best situation, but just made the most of it.

Q. Were you surprised there were stages in the match when he really returned your serve well? Was he returning that well?

MILOS RAONIC: He was returning well, but I gave him the opportunity to return well. Last time I played him I served consistently well throughout the match, so I just instilled a little bit of fear and doubt on his return game. Whereas today I had way too many lapses, so after a while he sort of was seeing the light and saying, Okay, if I just stick with him I'll sort of have a few cracks at his serve.

Q. Do you feel like you've played offensively enough today? Was he kind of dictating a lot of the points where it was close to the baseline?

MILOS RAONIC: He was dictating. I felt like he was going for quite a bit and was not missing. The thing is, most of the time my initial way of creating pressure on my opponents is with the serve, serving and holding quite comfortably, and then they hesitate a little more on their service games and that gives me a little bit more freedom. So he was holding easier than I was. He was having more freedom to swing on his serve games and my service game. So it's sort of like a double‑edged sword. It was hurting me today that I wasn't serving well.

Q. Have you had to adjust your career expectations as players have started peaking later in their careers.

MILOS RAONIC: I haven't really thought about it too much. I understand it's sport and stuff happens and you don't have control over too many things. You don't know when you're going to play well, when things are going to really come together for you. So I haven't really thought too much about it. It's been more so the thought of like today making sure I get through a moment like today and trying to be better for my next round.

Q. The end of the second set sort of is almost shocking to me. You were going along in the first, seemed to be in control of the second, and then, boom, you lost your serve. I think you made a sign that you were disappointed. It happened all very quickly. From a fairly one‑sided match it went to...

MILOS RAONIC: At one point he had two really good returns, and especially from the deuce on. I had two double faults, so I made the game a lot closer. Just like the games of the second set, first game I think I had three double faults. It was just not really characteristic mistakes I was making. It was just letting him stay around. At that point, I felt like ‑‑ normally it's when I'm quite good at sort of ‑ especially with my serve ‑ sort of keeping the pressure on my opponents, and I wasn't doing that today.

Q. You have lost again some very close matches this summer where it looked like you had chances to win to Isner and Del Potro, Wawrinka. What is it you need to close out those matches?

MILOS RAONIC: It hasn't really necessarily come at the end of matches. I think it's more so opportunities I miss earlier, and then you play a little bit tighter at the end of the matches. Even if I miss opportunities, I think I just need to stick more to what I know how to do. At the same time, I need to, I think, improve at sort of reading the game a little bit better and taking those opportunities and converting them earlier in the matches. I feel at that stage it will sort of all just come together. It's all step by step and sort of just get the pieces to come together.

Q. So you pinpointed your return as the shot where that would make the biggest difference. How do you go about working on a shot like that?

MILOS RAONIC: It hasn't been necessarily specifically the return. I think it's been more so converting from being ‑‑ doesn't matter who you return against other than maybe one or two, maybe even just one player, Novak ‑‑ everybody else after the serve is mostly in a defensive position, at best neutral. Nobody really gets in the offensive off the return of serve. It's more so the shots after being able to convert quicker and sort of get ahead in the point where I'm dictating rather than sort of depending on him more so to hit a short ball or me to get an opening sort of to be able to create a little bit more with the return of serve. But at the same time, with the first second ball after the return being ‑‑ sort of just seeing my opportunities a little bit better and sort of capitalizing on that.

Q. What do you admire and respect most about Roger Federer as you consider his game all through his career and now that he's back to No. 1?

MILOS RAONIC: I think the most ‑‑ well, one thing is the way he plays. I think he's one of the most enjoyable players to watch. There's just such an ease to it. I think at the same time, that's why he has been able to come back to No. 1. That's why he has been able to stay healthy. There's a fluidity and an ease that everything he does looks very athletic and none of it really looks forced. I think it's helped his longevity as well; at the same time, it's helped him stay healthy and not really have any big problems. I think also a big thing is him you will find a lot of times where he's not playing well and he finds a way to win. Then he just gets better and better throughout the tournament. I think that's a big thing between him, Rafa especially, and as well as Novak the last period of time.

Q. He went off a little bit in the fourth and maybe gave you the opening, but are you aware you have that effect on guys with your serve? Even though they're ahead, they still know you're there and if they slip at all they're in big trouble?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, it's a big advantage. I knew as soon as I got that sort of ‑‑ I wasn't even thinking about the second break in the fourth set. I was thinking more so if I get that first one back and I start just cleaning up a little bit, mistakes I'm making on my serve, I'll have a good chance coming down to a tiebreak. So it was nice to get a second break, but at the same time, I could sort of feel he was getting a little bit impatient and he was getting a little bit tired. The shots he was going for earlier his legs just just weren't behind as much and he was starting to make a few mistakes he wasn't making earlier.

Q. How fast are the courts playing?

MILOS RAONIC: Courts are playing pretty quick. They're quite different. I don't think there is really that many courts that are the exact same. I haven't practiced on too many, but I notice that the practice courts are quite a bit slower than the first few days I was practicing on Grandstand. I know Court 17 is a bit quicker than the court I was playing on because I practiced there the last couple days. The courts haven't all been the same, but they're playing like a comfortable speed. Not too different from the last few weeks.

Q. In some ways is this your home continent Grand Slam, or do you just put that with Toronto and Montreal as the home country Grand Slam but when you come in here do you feel like it's North America, it's the US Open, and this one is big to me?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, in a way, because it is so close and I do have friends and family come out more so than I do at the other events. But it's a comfortable event for me. I enjoy the city here. I enjoy the tournament. But at the same time, I think there's not really any more pressure than per se Wimbledon just because it's one event that I really look up to a little bit more than the other ones. I would really like to do well in.

Q. Does it seem like it was just two years ago you lost to Carsten?

MILOS RAONIC: It seems a little bit longer. I tried to forget that as much as I could.

Źródło: http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/interv ... 76212.html

[DUN I LOVE]

Szukając info o Roddicku natrafiłem na wiadomość, że Milos podczas tegorocznego Rogers Cup zaserwował z prędkością 250 km.h. Jest to trzeci wynik tabeli wszech czasów:

1 Samuel Groth 163.4 mph (263 km/h) - 2012 Busan Open Challenger Tennis
2 Ivo Karlović 156 mph (251 km/h) - 2011 Davis Cup
3 Milos Raonic 155.3 mph (250 km/h) - 2012 Rogers Cup

[Tweener]

To ciekawe że zaliczyli ten serwis, bo w meczu z Troickim w tym samym turnieju licznik pokazał pewnego razu powyżej 270 km/h.

[Sempere]

Wywiad po wygranym meczu w II rundzie Us Open 2012:

Spoiler:

Q. I think we can say when you go for an ace on a set point on a second serve, it's like a lot of players would do when you hit a forehand, you're that confident with that stroke?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I'm not saying I know I'll get an ace, but I know I'll make it 80% or 90% of the time. I know most of the time it will be an advantage even if it comes back.



Q. In this particular case, what was the thought process where he was positioned, why you decided to hit it where you hit it?

MILOS RAONIC: The first one went to the body because he was standing close. The second one went to the forehand because he has a better backhand.



Q. Not because there was a bigger opening?

MILOS RAONIC: No. I was going more to his backhand. It's the one he'd expect for less and obviously he has a better backhand.



Q. Federer said recently often before he tosses the ball he changes his mind about where to serve. Is that something you do?

MILOS RAONIC: I know where I want to go. If I see in the corner of my sight that my opponent moves, I'm able to change where I decide to go.



Q. How do you compare today's performance to two days ago?

MILOS RAONIC: Much better as far as basics are concerned. Still need to do quite a few things better. The two breaks I got, I played two good points each time. He sort of gifted me two of them. So I was a little bit ‑‑ wish I could have done better. I didn't do that well on my return games. I was just not doing enough with the ball. The only time I really did it is when I started, I don't know, for me, maybe grunting a little bit at 4‑All was the only point I played the way I would have wanted to play all the match before. I sort of started letting out a bit more. Obviously hit better shots. I was able to force a bit more on him.



Q. 4‑All in the third set?

MILOS RAONIC: In the tiebreak.



Q. I wanted to know how you felt after this victory going to the next round? Probably facing Granollers?

MILOS RAONIC: I think he's down a set and a break.

No, I feel good about it. I'm getting better. Obviously I now have two days to get even better. I feel if I do, I'll have my chances and I'll feel good about that. I've played James before almost two years ago. I have not played Marcel, but I know him well from practice and so forth. Both are going to be tough. Both play quite different. At the same time it's more about them adjusting to me rather than myself to them.



Q. Do you have any comments on Andy Roddick's announcement of retiring?

MILOS RAONIC: I didn't really expect it; it's not like I didn't expect it. You didn't know. He's done great things. He did a lot for tennis in a part where it was struggling a little bit after Sampras and Agassi was getting a little bit older, was struggling a little bit. He did a lot for it then. Then he helped out the sport a lot. He had a magnificent career. A lot of feats that not many people had that I think a lot of people forget. I think he was eight or ten years in the top 10, which is very impressive. He's done a lot of great things for himself and the sport. It's sad, but I'm sure he has a lot of exciting things to look forward to.



Q. Did you see him?

MILOS RAONIC: No.



Q. Are you going to play a retired tennis player in the fall?

MILOS RAONIC: I guess so. I guess that's the way it goes.



Q. How were the conditions out there, the heat, the crowd?

MILOS RAONIC: It's a nice stadium. It's quite open. There was really not too much wind. The heat was okay. I didn't find it was too hot today. Maybe things were going a little bit better than other times, so everything seemed a little bit lighter. So I like that stadium. I practiced on it a few times. It was nice. It's a nice court. In the end of it it's more so about how I play than the court.



Q. Did he have any surprises for you, anything about his game you didn't expect?

MILOS RAONIC: I expected a lot of things. He was changing a few times. Some parts of the match he was playing more passive than other times. It wasn't really a surprise because I gave him a lot of openings. He was doing a lot of things well.



Q. Your relationship with your serve, is it stranger than like a relationship with a forehand or backhand?

MILOS RAONIC: In what sense?



Q. Forehand and backhand, you're going to be on a little more. Serve is more unpredictable.

MILOS RAONIC: No, it's quite a bit more predictable because you don't depend on what anybody else does. You have all the time in the world. Obviously a time limit. Some guys are known for bouncing the ball a lot. But you have all the time in the world. It's really up to you. I don't think I have too many bad service days. It's not like I did anything special yesterday to serve better today. I just relaxed. It's like riding a bike. I know how to serve. I've just got to get it going.



Q. He said before the match he wanted to play before the match he wanted to play on a bigger court because of your kick serve. Was that in the strategy?

MILOS RAONIC: I would have used that on ‑‑ I don't know what the biggest court is around, on Ashe to practice courts with somebody else practicing right beside. I'm going to use that serve if it helps me. It's a big change. It makes them think a bit more next time I come to serve.



Q. If by any chance you play Blake, that would be more of a glamour match. Would you like to play an Ashe if it was like a night match?

MILOS RAONIC: I would like to, yes. Do I think about it, no, because I don't have any control over it. It would be amazing. There's a long ways to go for that. Some people like Ashe; some people like the other stadiums more. I don't know. I haven't played on any. For me it's all first experiences that I look forward to having one day.



Q. Did you ever practice on Ashe?

MILOS RAONIC: No.



Q. Did you learn anything in the match against Hewitt about this crowd?

MILOS RAONIC: A little bit, yeah. But I felt it helped him more. I didn't feel it demotivated me in any way. It's normal. There's a lot of people that can silence that; I don't care where you're from. It's hard for anybody to really get a crowd up against Federer. Doesn't matter if it's in Spain for Nadal. People enjoy watching Federer. I'm sure it's a pleasant feeling to have. But it's something you don't have any control over, so why care about it?

http://www.usopen.org/en_US/news/interv ... 25400.html

[Sempere]

Wywiad po wygranym meczu w III rundzie Us Open 2012:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6I_c9cm ... ature=plcp[/youtube]

[Rodżer Anderłoter]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZCLODnN ... ature=plcp[/youtube]

[robpal]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wktYYlYB ... ature=plcp[/youtube]

[DUN I LOVE]

US Open 2012: 4 runda.



Raonic po raz pierwszy dotarł do tego etapu na US Open. Wcześniej już grał w 4 rundzie turnieju wielkoszlemowego i miało to miejsce podczas Australian Open 2011.

[robpal]

Zapunktował (znowu) u mnie Milos mądrymi wypowiedziami. Kompletnie nie dziwi, czemu - mimo topornego stylu gry - ma tylu fanów.

[Ranger]

10.09.2012

Najwyższy ranking w karierze: 15

[Sempere]

Milos Raonic Bag Check

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rouQuon8Yv4&feature=plcp[/youtube]