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AO SWOT #7 Milos Raonic

Milos Raonic: Two years ago the Canadian newcomer was a breakthrough star at the Australian Open, where as a qualifier he trotted into the fourth round, beating No. 10 Mikhail Youzhny along the way. Now the big server is a mainstay inside the top 20.

Strengths: For Milos, it’s all about the serve. The 21 year old plays the game much like his idol Pete Sampras did: by hitting as many aces as he physically can in each and every match. He belted 1,002 aces in 2012, winning 82% of his first serve points over the year. Such a serve allows Raonic to relax in the rest of his game, attacking the net behind a big forehand and making his opponents hold serve with the added pressure that if they don’t, they have a big task at hand in breaking his.

Weaknesses: The holes in Raonic’s game are the ones you may suspect from a 6-foot-5 acing machine: he’s a step slow, his return game needs improvement and he can oftentimes rely too heavily on his delivery to carry him through the match. So was true here last year when he was out-hustled by an inspired Lleyton Hewitt in a third-round upset. Raonic has to ratchet up more opportunities off of his return game, which he won just 15% of in 2012, converting break points only 39% of the time.

Opportunities: After solidifying himself as a true contender following his surprise run here in 2011, Raonic now has the chance to take his game to the next level and crack the top 10. While it’s clear that his return game needs cleaning, he should have a healthy shot at making a deep run if he used the off-season wisely. Many have pinned his name onto the wheel of next major contenders and he went 6-6 in 2012 against top 10 opponents, with wins over Andy Murray, Tomas Berdych and Janko Tipsarevic.

Threats: While Raonic has difficulty with the Big Four, he also can get in his own way at times. Much like Lindsay Davenport and her slumped shoulders, the Montenegro native can snap into a moody and defeated state on the court, creating a difficult task for himself to conjure up a win. Smaller, return-focused players like Hewitt can also prove a problem for Milos, who finds trouble with them when their return game is sizzling and they have a single break in hand for the advantage.

Craig Tiley, Australian Open tournament director:

“Raonic is an up and coming superstar. He’s got all the ingredients, and has proved he can mix it with the big guys. I think he’s a good player. I think that he’ll have a breakthrough one of these events, but I’m not too sure whether it will be this year at the Australian Open.”

Q. What happened in the first set? Obviously not your finest hour.

MILOS RAONIC: I don't think not my finest two and a half hours.

No, I wasn't putting anything on the ball the whole match. I was playing a little bit tight. I sort of wasn't hitting freely. I was just letting him get in the points and get in the match.



Q. You did have stretches of playing reasonably well, I thought.

MILOS RAONIC: But never the right way. He gave me a lot of mistakes.

And it was always similar sort of the third set. I had a lot of break chances in the third set, but I was always missing the first or second ball. Then I just started overthinking a little bit too much.



Q. And the second serve on the set point in the fourth set, just another day at the office?

MILOS RAONIC: That's how I know how to serve. I hope that's how it always goes.



Q. Did that affect you at all, the fact that you hit a let on the previous serve?

MILOS RAONIC: No. I was thinking to go wide, but I've been doing this serve the whole time. I haven't really been double faulting. I double faulted maybe early in the game, but on the deuce side. I wasn't double faulting at all on that side.



Q. Do you blame any of the erratic play on the pretty windy conditions?

MILOS RAONIC: No, the wind wasn't that bad, as bad as it seems. It was actually pretty okay to play. I just wasn't swinging freely, and then just the wind seem a lot worse than it is.

My legs weren't moving, my arm wasn't moving, so the margin for error when I was swinging through the ball was much smaller.



Q. How do you explain not moving the arms?

MILOS RAONIC: First match. Just looking to get better and better. I think I played better against Giraldo last year in US Open, but I think it was same of the sort of the same situation. Then I came out better and better and better by the match.

So happy to get through and trying to make it better.



Q. So it's Rosol or Jamie Baker.

MILOS RAONIC: I played Jamie I think three times, three weeks in a row, in futures in Bangkok. Three weeks in a row I played him. I think semis all three weeks. I won twice and lost once.



Q. Rosol is he anything but a guy that had one phenomenal performance?

MILOS RAONIC: That's not my place to comment. We'll see about that in two days.



Q. And what did you think of him today? Steady at certain times.

MILOS RAONIC: He's steady. He doesn't move that great. He needs time. That's why I felt I let him into it quite often, because I'm normally pretty good when I get ahead in the point making the guy go from side to side.

Guys like Ferrer that defend really well I struggle with a bit more. I wasn't able to get him going, and that's the thing. I was letting him into the game. That's why I was a bit disappointed with, well, not just that part but many parts of the match.



Q. Trying to incorporate a few new things into your game this year. I guess you weren't too successful with that today.

MILOS RAONIC: No. The only thing I incorporated is winning the match and getting by and trying to be better.

Big-serving Raonic sees off Rosol



Booming Canadian Milos Raonic has stormed into the third round of Australian Open 2013 after taming Czech world No.75 Lukas Rosol 7-6(2) 6-2 6-3.

Twenty-two-year-old Raonic, the 13th seed, continued his promising form at Melbourne Park advancing past the second round of the Slam for the third straight year.

It was a battle of two 6ft 5in giants on Court 13, both players putting on a serving clinic much to the delight of the healthy crowd enduring the 38-degree Melbourne heat.

It was the Canadian, however, who was able to control his pace with a bit more class and accuracy, finishing the match with only one broken service game and 18 aces.

"I felt he (Rosol) was good when he guessed right, but as long as I kept him guessing I don’t feel like he could really hurt me too much on my serve," Raonic said after the match.

"As long as I knew as I was mixing it up, even if he got his racquet on it it’s not like he had hit it that many times in a row, he would be hesitating a little bit and wasn’t swinging as freely."

While the harsh Melbourne sun was in full force - as is usually the case during the Australian Grand Slam - the Canadian said he dealt with it well despite a few minor issues.

"(The heat) was a little bit tough, the thing is that you get a little bit dizzy," Raonic said.

"Other than that I don’t think it was really that hot because the sun was covered up most of the time... the air was just a little bit thick, so breathing and catching your breath was a little bit more difficult."

But the win was never set in stone for the world No.15, Rosol being no stranger to knocking off top seeds highlighted by his Wimbledon shocker against Rafael Nadal last year.

Players traded service games in the opening set, aided by their ability to either slam aces down the T at a blinding pace or take advantage of a poor return.

With scores locked at 6-6, Raonic secured an early mini-break in the tiebreak to go ahead 2-1 and from there he never looked back. Two aces, two Rosol unforced errors and a put-away volley in a matter of seconds helped Raonic steal the first set and subsequently all the momentum.

Rosol just didn’t look the same from there. The Canadian quickly deciphered his opponent’s punishing serve as he broke three times in the second set – a stark contrast from his zero in the opener – and cruised through 6-2.

The Czech’s 48 per cent first serve percentage in the third set brought him further headaches as Raonic kept pressing. It seemed as if the world No.15 could do no wrong when his first serve landed – with 85 per cent of first serve points won – and five more aces helped him ease to a 6-3 score in the third in only 30 minutes.

Raonic’s win sets up a third round showdown with 17th-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber on Saturday

Raonic Wants Perfect San Jose Record


Raonic has an 8-0 record in San Jose.

World No. 15 Milos Raonic is targeting a perfect record at the SAP Open as the tournament prepares to host its final event. The Canadian is the two-time reigning champion, having captured his first ATP World Tour title at the HP Pavilion in 2011.

“I don't think people can say really too often that they've gone sort of undefeated at one event,” said Raonic. “It would be something pretty awesome to be able to do that. It's a long way [away], but I feel ready and I just have to keep focusing on it and make the most of those opportunities.”

Raonic has thrived during the February indoor swing in the United States the past two years. He has followed up his San Jose triumphs by reaching the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships title match in Memphis.

“I think I've really pushed myself and I work really hard during the off season. That gives me a lot of confidence,” Raonic said. “Those tournaments come up right after I get some matches in, as well. So it's just sort of the timing of it and the work I put in, it starts clicking at those events. That's paid off for me the most.”

The 22 year old is preparing for Canada’s Davis Cup World Group first-round tie against Spain, which begins 1 February in Vancouver. Raonic, who advanced to the fourth round at the Australian Open (l. to Federer), is joined by Vasek Pospisil, Frank Dancevic and Daniel Nestor.

“I think they're still the favourites. They know how to win,” assessed Raonic. “They do a lot of things well. We have to focus on ourselves and take advantage of the situation we're in, the conditions. We're playing at home. We have control over quite a few of the conditions, [so we'll] try to make the most of that.”

Raonic Wants to be on Top



Milos Raonic would like to beat them and join them.

The world’s 13th-ranked tennis player has spent the past couple of years gradually scaling the sport’s pecking order. He won two tournaments last year, including his second in a row at the SAP Open, and twice beat Andy Murray, currently the world’s No. 3 player.

But Raonic knows if he wants to reach the ultimate heights of tennis anytime soon he will have to consistently compete with the “Big Four” – Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Murray and Rafael Nadal.

“I think all these things will come,” said Raonic, who will begin his quest of three-peating at the SAP Open next week, when the tournament returns to HP Pavilion in San Jose Feb. 11-17. “It’s just about as a player not hoping for them to go away, but working and trying to become a part of that group – become associated with those top four.”

Raonic, 22, won his first career singles title at the SAP Open in 2011. He came back to San Jose last year as the No. 32 player in the world and successfully defended his title. Since his last Bay Area appearance, he has played in three more finals, notched the two triumphs over Murray and advanced to the fourth round of the U.S. Open.

He was the youngest player to finish 2012 ranked in the top-20, and now has his sights set on further ascending the tennis hierarchy.
“I think I’m getting quite better,” Raonic said. “I’m getting better in movement, more experience, how to deal with situations, my backhand, many things. My return game is getting better. All these kinds of things I’ve worked on and I have a lot more belief and confidence in.

“I think also along with other guys, I think I’m getting closer. I can’t really put a time limit on it. The sooner, the better. I have to just keep working away.
When that opportunity comes up, I have to try to make the most of it.”

There’s no better place than the SAP Open for Raonic to try to continue making that dent into the top of men’s tennis. The Canadian has owned this event in recent years, especially with his booming serve. He’s lost just two of 85 service games the past two years. In last year’s win over Denis Istomin in the final, he dropped just four points on his serve the entire match.

No tennis player has won three straight tournaments at a Bay Area event since Tony Trabert in 1953-55. Raonic, who has parlayed his success in San Jose to become a crowd favorite inside HP Pavilion, would love to capture the singles crown one more time before the tournament moves out of the Bay Area.

“It would be something special,” Raonic said. “I don’t think people can say really too often that they’ve gone sort of undefeated at one event. It would be something pretty awesome to be able to do that. It’s a long ways to that, but I feel ready and I just have to keep focusing on it and make the most of other opportunities.”

Raonic negotiated this stretch of the calendar nicely last season. After winning in San Jose, he reached the finals in Memphis the following week. He continued his improvement into the summer, something he hopes to duplicate in 2013.

“The goal every day is to keep getting better, improve something every day” Raonic said. “It’s about sort of working away and hoping that time comes sooner than later, trying to make the most of it when it does.”

Raonic Continues Quest for Three

Milos Raonic won his match at the SAP Open on Thursday night. In a related matter, the sun set in the West.

Raonic, the two-time defending champion and No. 1 seed this year, improved to 9-0 all-time here in San Jose with a tidy 6-2, 7-5 second-round victory over American Michael Russell in a match that took just over an hour to complete.

Raonic will play sixth-seeded Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan in Friday’s quarterfinals. Istomin had already played two matches in San Jose this week before Raonic took the court Thursday evening, because the Canadian had a first-round bye.

Raonic defeated Istomin 7-6(3), 6-2 in last year’s championship match.

“I’m definitely comfortable here,” Raonic said. “I made a big emphasis on starting aggressive today, especially being the first match of the tournament and his second match of the tournament. I was able to play well.”

Raonic has been the king of this event the past two years, winning over Bay Area fans with a powerful game and a likeable personality. His 2011 title was the first of his career, and his run to the 2012 crown was especially dominant behind his booming serve.

Including Thursday’s match, Raonic has lost just two of 95 service games all-time at the SAP Open. In last year’s win over Istomin, he dropped just four points on his serve the entire match.

Raonic is a favorite to win again this year. If he does, he will become the first player to win three straight championships in a Bay Area event since Tony Trabert in 1953-55.

“It would be something that is nice, but I don’t think it is pressure,” Raonic said. “It’s more just wishful thinking at the moment to make that happen.”

It didn’t take Raonic long to get an edge against Russell, breaking him in the third game of the match. He broke him again at 4-2 in the first set and then closed it out easily.

The players each held serve until Raonic broke Russell at 5-5, then served out the match.

“I think I played pretty well,” Raonic said. “I got into a little bit of a slump just trying to go for a bit too much on second serve returns. When I figured
that out in the last game, it was much better.”

Raonic just turned 22 in November, and has been gradually adding to his game. That allowed him to notch two wins over Great Britain star Andy Murray last year, advance to the fourth round of the U.S. Open and rise to No. 13 in the world rankings.

Raonic said his improved skill-set has allowed him to take more chances instead of always relying on his big serve.

“I have experience how to deal with situations more,” Raonic said. “I feel like I back up my serve better and I’m holding quite handily most of the time. That gives me more freedom to go for shots in my return game.”

In other action Thursday night, the No. 1 doubles team of Mike and Bob Bryan was knocked out by the Australian tandem of Lleyton Hewitt and Marinko Matosevic, 6-4, 6-7(4), 10-7. Xavier Malisse and Frank Moser beat Matthew Ebden and Michael Russell, 6-3, 6-3.

Raonic - A Rising Star

Milos Raonic is becoming a big star in Canada. The two-time defending SAP Open champion has risen to No. 13 in the world and earlier this month led his country to an upset win over Spain in the first round of the Davis Cup.

If Canada can beat Italy in the quarterfinals and the United States beats Serbia, the winners would meet in the semifinals.
“Maybe we can play in San Jose,” Raonic said.

Raonic would just as soon play every match in San Jose. Friday night, he improved to 10-0 all-time at the SAP Open with a 7-6(0), 6-3 win over Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin. Raonic has never dropped a set at this tournament. His quest for a third title in a row continues Saturday afternoon against American Sam Querrey in the semifinals.

Truth be told, Raonic isn’t keen on playing every match in San Jose.

“The real estate is expensive to move here,” he said. “I’m a diva. I need more than a little condo.”

Istomin, who lost to Raonic in the 2012 title match, played the champion evenly for most of the first set. But he struggled to hold serve before finally keeping pace and taking a 6-5 lead. But those struggles foreshadowed what was about to come.

Raonic won 11 of the next 12 points to close out the set, and then broke Istomin’s first service game of the second set to lead 3-0.

“That 5-all game, I started to hit my stride,” Raonic said. “That just led into the tiebreak. I didn’t start as aggressively as I wanted to today. I wasn’t really winning any points from the baseline.”

Raonic’s 2011 SAP Open title was the first championship of his career. He said he doesn’t necessarily feel the pressure of having the target on his back as the two-time defending champion, and the possible of winning a third in a row. But he experiences apprehension before each individual match.

“I haven’t really thought that far ahead,” Raonic said. “It would be great to get to that point, to have that opportunity. But no matter how established I am or how much people think I’m favored to win a lot of my matches, I still get nervous. I think having those nerves when I am starting out matches keeps me sharp.”

Raonic said he wasn’t as sharp to begin Friday’s match, as a handful of unforced errors demonstrated. Istomin had a rare break point leading 2-1 in the first set but Raonic ended up holding. Raonic has won 104 of 106 service games lifetime at the SAP Open.

“It would be a great way to finish here, especially it being my first title as well,” Raonic said. “To have those feelings you have when it’s your first title and span that over three years -- it’s something special, something you don’t have an opportunity to do too much.”

Querrey advanced to the semis with a hard-fought 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 win over Columbia’s Alejandro Falla. It marks the first time since 2002 that the top four seeds have advanced to the semifinals at the SAP Open.

ATP San Jose: Historyczny trzeci z rzędu triumf Milosa Raonicia



Milos Raonić zapisał się w historii turnieju ATP World Tour 250 rozgrywanego w San José. Kanadyjczyk pokonał w finale 6:4, 6:3 Tommy'ego Haasa i po raz trzeci z rzędu zwyciężył w całej imprezie.

Milos Raonić w wielkim stylu został triumfatorem rozgrywanego w San José turnieju SAP Open. Rozstawiony z numerem pierwszym Kanadyjczyk w całych zawodach zmuszony był bronić tylko jednego break pointa, a wszystkie cztery spotkania pewnie zakończył w dwóch partiach. 22-letni tenisista w kalifornijskim turnieju pozostał niepokonany: wygrał łącznie 12 gier, nie tracąc w nich ani jednego seta!

W niedzielnym meczu Raonić potrzebował zaledwie pięciu kwadransów, aby rozprawić się z Tommy'm Haasem. Doświadczony tenisista w swoim 25. finale zawodów głównego cyklu mógł zostać pierwszym Niemcem w 125-letniej historii imprezy, który sięgnie po mistrzowski tytuł. Ostatecznie, trofeum powędrowało w ręce Kanadyjczyka, który tym samym jako jedyny gracz w Erze Otwartej trzy razy z rzędu zwyciężył w San José.

Spotkanie Raonicia z Haasem zakończyło się zwycięstwem 6:4, 6:3 turniejowej "jedynki". Pochodzący z Podgoricy zawodnik znów imponował swoim serwisem: posłał na drugą stronę kortu 19 asów, a po trafionym pierwszym podaniu wygrał aż 90 proc. wszystkich punktów. Niemiec zanotował tylko jednego asa i w całym meczu trzykrotnie nie utrzymał własnego serwisu.

- Uważam, że rzeczą na której naprawdę się skupiłem, był jego drugi serwis. Zaraz na początku meczu rzadko nie trafiał pierwszym podaniem, ale byłem w stanie wywrzeć sporą presję na jego drugim serwisie, a w dalszej części spotkania także na jego pierwszym. Byłem agresywny i dobrze to widziałem. Nie wiem czy byłbym w stanie returnować jeszcze lepiej - powiedział po finale szczęśliwy zwycięzca.

Raonić do ataku ruszył już w pierwszym gemie spotkania, ale wówczas Haas zdołał jeszcze obronić własne podanie. W trzecim gemie reprezentant naszych zachodnich sąsiadów był jednak bezradny, Kanadyjczyk znakomicie returnował, a jego świetne czucie kortu dawało mu również znaczną przewagę w wymianach. 22-latek wywalczonej przewagi nie zmarnował, pewnie kończąc seta w 10. gemie przy trzeciej okazji.

Początek drugiej odsłony to zmasowany atak Raonicia na serwis rywala, który w gemie otwarcia zdołał jeszcze utrzymać podanie. Kiedy wydawało się, że Haas wreszcie jest w stanie nawiązać walkę, przyszedł moment słabości, bezwzględnie wykorzystany przez Kanadyjczyka. Raonić przełamał podanie Niemca na 4:3 i od tego momentu rządził niepodzielnie na korcie. Rozbity Haas nie znalazł recepty na potężny return przeciwnika, w dziewiątym gemie ponownie dał sobie odebrać serwis, co było równoznaczne z zakończeniem całego pojedynku.

Za trzeci triumf w San José i zarazem siódmy w swojej karierze Raonić otrzymał czek o wartości 98 700 dolarów oraz obronił 250 punktów do rankingu ATP. Mimo zwycięstwa w całej imprezie, Kanadyjczyk osunie się w światowej klasyfikacji z 13. na 14. lokatę, bowiem wyprzedzi go Francuz Gilles Simon, półfinalista równolegle rozgrywanego turnieju w Rotterdamie. 150 punktów oraz czek na sumę 52 000 dolarów zainkasował z kolei Haas, który dzięki temu w poniedziałek awansuje na 18. miejsce w rankingu ATP.

World No. 13 Milos Raonic completed an remarkable run on Sunday in San Jose, defeating No. 4 seed Tommy Haas 6-4, 6-3 to win his third consecutive title at the final staging of the SAP Open. Raonic finishes with a 12-0 event record, winning all 24 sets he played during his three-year reign.

“It’s pretty awesome. It’s pretty special,” said Raonic. “It’s more than just the trophies that I have. It’s the little things that come with it. There was always the maple syrup story. The San Jose Sharks jersey. It all means a lot. With this event, that has had so many great champions, it’s pretty special. To sort of one-up it and three-peat is pretty awesome.”

Raonic improved to a 4-3 record in ATP World Tour finals and successfully defended 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points. The Canadian became the first player in the Open Era to win three Bay Area titles in a row and first since Tony Trabert achieved the feat from 1953-55. He did not drop serve during his triumph this week, holding in all 39 games.

The top-seeded Raonic never found himself in trouble on serve against Haas. He fired 19 aces, won 29 of his 32 first serve points and did not face a break point. Raonic closed out the victory by breaking Haas for the third time in the final game to win the pair’s first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting in 75 minutes.

“I think the thing I’ve really focused on is the second serve return,” Raonic said. “I think in the beginning he wasn’t missing many first serves but I was able to put a lot of pressure on his second serve, and then put more pressure on his first serve later in the match. I was able to stay aggressive. I was seeing it well. I don’t think I could have returned much better.”

Haas was contesting his first final in San Jose on his eighth tournament appearance. The 34 year old was aiming to become the first German to lift the trophy. He dropped to 13-12 in tour-level finals.

“There was nothing I could have done. I didn’t play a bad match. I just came up against a guy who played phenomenal tennis today,” said Haas. “He didn’t give me any looks on his serve. All the credit to him for that. He served extremely well. He has a lot of confidence. He took risks when he had to and got rewarded for it. That’s his game and that’s what makes him so tough.”

The SAP Open bids farewell after celebrating a 125-year run. The event was first hosted in 1889.

Milos Raonic: Canadian Trailblazer


Raonic says improvements to his return game and
movement will help him break into the Top 10.

Before Milos Raonic burst onto the scene in 2011, Canada never had a player ranked inside the Top 40 of the Emirates ATP Rankings. So it’s understandable when Raonic breaks new ground, whether it comes through a new rankings milestone or a significant match win, both local and international media follow with interest.

As part of ATP’s ‘Emirates Stars Of Tomorrow’ series, the current World No. 16 discusses his role as an ambassador for Canadian tennis, what he needs to improve to crack the Top 10 and more…

Every time you attain a new Emirates ATP Rankings milestone, Canada reaches one. How do you approach the responsibility of being a pioneer of Canadian tennis?
I find the best way to approach it is for me focus on myself. I’m focused every day on what I need to do to win and put everything else aside. It’s great to have the support, but I play tennis for myself. I’m very proud to represent tennis in my country and Canadians worldwide as best as I can.

You finished 2012 as the youngest player inside the Top 20. In light of that, how much do you think age and experience play a role in the Emirates ATP Rankings?
I think they do. I’m still learning a lot every match, win or lose. Experience is a big thing for me, especially trying to win in tough situations. I’m trying to make the transition to the top as smooth as possible by learning as much as I can every match. I’m not taking anything for granted.

How close do you feel to the Top 10, having been ranked as high as No. 13? What improvements can you make to move up to this elite group of players?
I’m keen on getting there and working hard to get there. I need to improve in many aspects. My return game and my movement are big things I need to improve. I also need to keep learning through experiences and I think that will help me get up there with the Top 10 guys. I’d like to squeeze into the Top 8 to make the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London.

Looking back, can you identify a point in time when you realised you had the game and mental strength to compete with the best players in the world?
There are two times. First was when I qualified and made the fourth round of Australian Open in 2011. I had two good wins over Mikhail Youzhny and Michael Llodra. But before that, I qualified at Montreal in 2009 and had match points against Fernando Gonzalez there. That gave me a lot of belief in myself and the work I was doing. It also gave me the respect I wanted.