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Q. What can you tell us about the match from your point of view?

MILOS RAONIC: Everything was okay. I'd go in and out sometimes. Maybe just lacked a little bit of intensity. Where I needed to, I played well.

Q. Tell us about the second serve, the 140-miles-an-hour second serve. Have you ever served one before?

MILOS RAONIC: Plenty of times, yeah. I just have freedom to go for it and I hit it like a first serve. That's pretty much about it.

Q. Is that a particular state of mind or sort of how you feel about your serve or...

MILOS RAONIC: I wouldn't do it on like maybe let's say a breakpoint down that flat and hard. But when I'm up 40-Love, I feel like I'm going to make it about 50% of the time, so why not?

Q. A couple days ago you said you might be asking to your colleagues about your opponent. What kind of information did you get?

MILOS RAONIC: I didn't ask my coaches. I asked, and we were sort of told he tries to play more a Spanish clay court from a little bit further back, a little bit more defensive type of game style.

Q. Where would you situate this match in all the matches you played this summer in terms of how well you played?

MILOS RAONIC: No, I'm playing much better I think for things, it's just it's really hard to gauge it because of the way things went throughout the match. But I feel like just the way I've prepared for this event, I'm feeling more comfortable than any of the other ones, so that's a good thing.

Q. Is a first-round match like this also part of preparation for the later rounds? Is this sort of an afternoon that you would learn about court conditions, all that kind of stuff?

MILOS RAONIC: Well, yeah, you got to get used to it. There are things that are very new. You can't expect to start playing here playing the way I finished in Cincinnati. So, yeah, you have to sort of take it as it goes. But fortunately for slams, the way I always plan them, I try not to play the week right before so I can spend as much time on that given court or surface as much as possible.

Q. I'm trying to remember if you played on that one before.

MILOS RAONIC: Yes.

Q. Against?

MILOS RAONIC: Fabbiano my first match last year. It's a nice court. I like it. Maybe just because it's a little bit more open compared to Grandstand, sort of having the edge of Armstrong hanging over it, and how steep Ashe can feel. It's maybe just not maybe as intimate and the noise doesn't stay in as much. But it's a nice court.

Q. There was a point near the end where you screamed three balls as hard as you could, and then a dropshot. You let three forehands go full blast, and then you tried the dropshot. Just sort of feeling your oats then sort of going for it?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I was feeling comfortable. I was feeling like I'm doing things well. I definitely did dropshot or try to play a little bit crafty too many times throughout the match, but I felt like he was quite far behind the court and might have been the right play.

Q. Whacking those forehands, you just felt like you were on your game at that point?

MILOS RAONIC: I don't think I had anything at that point to really lose in that situation, so I was going for it a bit more freely.

Q. Are there any particular areas you feel you need to sharpen up ahead of the second round?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah. Just the discipline, the mental discipline and physical discipline. I got to play a high level throughout the entire match. I felt I fluctuated a little bit too much today.

Q. How will you feel if you get out of this interview room without anybody asking about what you were wearing today, your fashion statement?

MILOS RAONIC: Let's get to it, Tom (smiling).

Q. Hardly anybody missed you in that color.

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah. But apparently you said you didn't watch much of the match, so you did miss it.

Q. I still noticed you.

MILOS RAONIC: Thank you, Tom.

Q. Any comment?

MILOS RAONIC: I like it. I like it. It's a nice color. It's a nice outfit for New York (smiling).

Q. You talk about mental discipline. Are you specifically talking about concentration?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, it's concentration mostly. A few times I would play very sort of lackadaisical to get down 15-40, and then I would sharpen up only and really get on top of myself when I was putting myself with my back up against the wall. That's not the way you want to put yourself out there. I don't think I lost many points until 5-2 when I had a double break in that second set, and then just by sort of having one loose game, I let him start believing more. Then he was able to get himself in more and more games.

Q. How many times did you practice on Armstrong in the week leading up this year?

MILOS RAONIC: I think twice I hit on it.

Q. How many times on Ashe?

MILOS RAONIC: Twice.

Q. You said at the end you showed courage that had been lacking a little bit earlier. Can you explain what you meant?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, just when it came down to it, that 5-All game, I was fine with missing a few forehands, but I actually started hitting my forehands. Sort of allowed me to free up in the rest and I think that's why I think I served well. I was dictating more following that point just because I sort of said, Okay, let's worry about doing the right thing, not sort of trying to gut this through the wrong way.

Q. I noticed you were having a bit more discussion or looking towards your player's box more frequently during that match. Were you looking for encouragement?

MILOS RAONIC: I was just sort of in some situations not necessarily sure if I was doing the right thing. You can sort of see it on the faces of people most of the time.

Q. In a lot of ways you are similar, going for your shots a lot. Did you feel you were calmer in the long run and that would work out for you?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah. Well, the thing is I wasn't going for it enough. That was my issue today. He plays quite flat, quite low to the net, lower margin for error, I would say. But also, at the same time when he defends that way, if he just even puts it through the middle, it's hard for me because the ball never really comes up to my strike zone like against most guys. I think this and grass would probably be his best surfaces. It's tough. It's tough to play him when he's making those shots and moving as well as he was in the beginning. He sort of slowed down in the end, as did I. Not because I was tired. I was playing the wrong way. I was sort of letting myself fall into his routine. Then I just picked it up at the end.

Q. Do you know the name of your next opponent? Do you know him beforehand?

MILOS RAONIC: Yes.

Q. Do you maybe even know the amazing story behind him?

MILOS RAONIC: I don't know his amazing story. I know I played him 2010. I saved a few match points in a Davis Cup match against him.

Q. Are you overall happy with how you played tonight?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah. It's about getting through. It's about finding a way and getting through. That's what I was able to do. I have one day now to get better and I know I'll play better my next match.

Q. You didn't serve very well at the beginning, your first-serve percentage. It came up as the match went on. What was the problem early on?

MILOS RAONIC: I wasn't focusing on the right things. I got a little bit caught up, because I thought he was playing really well at the start. Rather than just focusing on my stuff and sort of getting through that way and think, Okay, keep this up, I was getting a little too caught up in him rather than focusing on myself.

Q. Is it a blessing in disguise to have that type of match at this point of the US Open?

MILOS RAONIC: I don't think it matters. There's too many variables when a draw comes out, whatever may happen with weather today being quite windy, those things don't really matter. You just have to deal with things as they come and find a way to win. It could have been perfectly calm today and been a different story. Who knows. There's no hidden value in this match.

Q. Can you explain what was going on with the towels at the beginning, them blowing around.

MILOS RAONIC: It was just blowing around. The umpire told the ball boy to grab my drink and put my drink on it. I don't think you should be telling somebody to touch my stuff. That's just what I sort of told him.

Q. Were you surprised that all of a sudden you lost that second set? He hit that incredible return, you missed the volley, looked like you weren't going to be able to be in control the rest of the way?

MILOS RAONIC: I just didn't do the right things throughout most of the match. I can't say I was necessarily surprised he went for it at that point and took it away from me. He did the same thing in the fourth set. He went for it at the beginning. Then I sort of found my way. He sort of gifted me a little bit. I was sort of creating more opportunities in the fourth as well.

Q. Are there many guys that play like him?

MILOS RAONIC: Not as low percentage. I think maybe he can be sort of compared to Gilles Simon, but he goes for a lot more. That lack of height over the net, keep a ball very low when you're defending, that kind of stuff, always make a guy hit up. So I think in that aspect, Gilles is probably the only guy that plays that low to the net but in a different standard. One guy plays quite defensive and the other guy plays more aggressive with it. It's tough really to play that way well week in and week out, but he's been doing it. He played great this week. He played great last time I played him in Halle.

Q. Taking into account the game four years ago in Davis Cup, apart from that close match, I think it went to five sets, Victor mentioned that in the press conference, do you remember something about that match? Are you going to think about it for preparing this match now?

MILOS RAONIC: No. Things are very different. I think we were both a similar ranking at that time. I think I was around maybe probably 400, maybe 300s at that time, getting close to 200. I'm not exactly sure. I know I broke through later that fall. Now I'm whatever it is, 6, 7 in the world. I think he was there, as well, between maybe 250 and 350 at that moment. Now he's a top 100 player. Things are very different. That match, considering what's going to happen in two days, has almost no value.

Q. There will be probably hundreds of fans from the Dominican Republic. They probably will not be cheering for you. Is it still something you think you will enjoy?

MILOS RAONIC: I will. I've been in a lot of necessarily difficult situations, playing Davis Cup in Serbia, all these kind of things. Those things don't really matter. I think it's fun when there's a good atmosphere on the court. That's one thing that stands out in this Grand Slam that I specifically enjoy.

Q. It was a pretty tricky match and a close one. How did you feel out there?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, it was difficult. He's playing well. He's playing with a lot of aspiration. It was a lot of fun, the atmosphere, out there. I'm glad that I was able to play well in the important moments.

Q. (Indiscernible.)

MILOS RAONIC: Well, I had a bit of an understanding what to expect. I played him about four years ago now, so I knew him a little bit. But I just -- all I really gathered upon information was pretty much the last eight months. I didn't know what happened in a big period in between.

Q. I think you'll admit you were not at your best today. Are you pleased to get through playing that way, and are you confident you can up it for the next round?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah to both of those questions. It's good to get the win. It's good to put myself in this position in the fourth round to go further in this tournament and give myself an opportunity to play better. Yeah, I believe I can play better. I believe I will.

Q. You have had a really successful year in terms of playing tiebreakers. Can you tell us why you seem to do so well in tiebreakers?

MILOS RAONIC: Just an understanding that it is a coin toss in a lot of ways. It can go both ways, but with my serve and ability to finish points quickly and the kind of pressure that puts on my opponents, I can maybe shift odds in my favor. When things aren't necessarily going well throughout the set, I feel like, okay, focus on make sure this goes all the way through. Take care of your serve and give yourself a shot in the breaker.

Q. You have obviously worked with a lot of different coaches over your career. I'm curious to know what the benefits have been working with a very recently retired player, and also somebody who shares your culture of origin if not your current culture.

MILOS RAONIC: No, it's great. He's been great in a lot of ways, Ivan. He understands me in a lot of situations. I don't think necessarily he always, let's say, he understands that because of culture. Maybe that helps, but I think we spend time together and he's been very adaptive in that kind of sense. They just help me understand what I need to do and how to sort of get a certain level out of myself and how to sort of value different things on and off the court.

Q. Speaking in English with the three of you together?

MILOS RAONIC: Yes.

Q. This guy has been a great story here. There is a lot of buzz about him and a lot of Dominicans came out. All of this has to be pretty tough to handle for a guy that goes in as such a heavy favorite. Did that make you play within yourself a little bit? Were you conscious you need to manage the situation and not let the crowd get into it or anything like that?

MILOS RAONIC: No. I have played a few situations in Davis Cup. I just sort of focused on the right things. I don't think necessarily that was too much of a factor. I just tried to focus on, okay, what do I have to do and how do I need to adjust throughout the match to what he's doing. Just try to keep things simple and not get caught up in things I can't control.

Q. Your sleeve sort of continues to take on a life of its own. You had a new design today. I'm just curious about the choice to wear it out on court and sort of why you continue to do so.

MILOS RAONIC: The sleeve or the design aspect of it?

Q. Both.

MILOS RAONIC: The sleeve started in Miami. I actually needed it at that point. Then it stuck around. It's stuck around. My team would say it helps me. I haven't found a reason to argue that so far, so it stuck around.

Q. Do you think it helps you, too?

MILOS RAONIC: I'm not gonna argue when things are going okay (smiling).

Q. Nishikori. What about the match at Wimbledon? Can you take anything from that, or is it a totally different situation on a hard court?

MILOS RAONIC: There is stuff to take from it, but at the same time it's quite different. I have got to focus on myself. I've got to clean up a few things. I've got to put out a certain level if I want to have opportunities, create opportunities. And then hopefully when those opportunities do arise, I can make the most of them. I just gotta clean up a few aspects.

Q. Was there any kind of an aspect you particularly enjoyed today? Some of the rallies were fun. Can you enjoy that?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, you can. It was a lot of fun, the atmosphere aspect of it. It's nice when you get into that sort of feeling and have that energy coming from outside of the court. Doesn't matter really which way. It just makes it that much more exciting. That's two years now in a row with the atmosphere today and the atmosphere last year when I played Richard. It's a great atmosphere here, and I really enjoyed being a part of it.

Q. Patrick McEnroe seems very fascinated with the fact that your hair always stays in place, whether it's windy or not, when you're playing. Can you tell us the secret of how you're doing that?

MILOS RAONIC: It's not really a secret (smiling). I don't got really too different hair of most people. Just the right product (smiling).

Q. Maybe you'll get a deal, endorsement deal. Do you want to tell us what you're using?

MILOS RAONIC: Maybe I will, but I'm not necessarily chasing one at the moment (laughter). I'll just let the hair speak for itself. It's got a Twitter account, so it actually does more speaking than I probably do on Twitter.

Q. About Nishikori, when was the last time you met him as a player? Can you talk about the strong part of his game?

MILOS RAONIC: Probably Eddie Herr because he grew up training at IMG. So probably Eddie Herr at the age of 14, maybe 16. Kei's I think biggest strength comes really in his movement. He's able to take the ball early because of it. But also, at the same time he's able to defend well because of how well he moves and how well he can get himself in position. Sort of have to find your way around that.

Q. During the second set tiebreak you caught a very unlucky ball boy in a very insensitive spot with 143-mile-an-hour serve. Did you notice if you did that, or did you say anything to him afterwards?

MILOS RAONIC: I didn't know I hit him in a very sensitive spot because the guy stood up pretty well. I'm not sure if I could if something hit me there at 143 miles an hour. I didn't really have a chance because when I came over to that side it was the middle of a tiebreak. It's really hard to sort of get out of that sort of fixture. I didn't have a fixed image in my head of which ball boy was necessarily there.

Q. You had some very kind words for him at the end. Can you just talk a bit about what you admire about this guy.

MILOS RAONIC: Well, it's great to see at 34 years old, I believe, he's playing his best tennis. He's figuring a lot of it out. He's giving himself sort of a new life about his tennis, because I know -- I saw him many times, especially going through the States. When I was playing through the challenger circuit you'd see him playing quallies or getting in as one of the last guys in the main draw. So you see him at that point. Now to see him getting into Grand Slams, directly into quite a few tournaments, as well, it's nice to see. I remember his first match. I believe I was practicing or warming up for my first round against Daniel. You could hear a great atmosphere in the back because he was practicing behind, playing behind those P courts. You could see he was enjoying that aspect of it. And not just everything he was doing, but everything that came in around it. You could see it was emotional for him after the match, as well. It's great for him to have this kind of a moment and to really enjoy it. He's really taking it in.

Q. Have you had a chance to ride the subway this week in New York? How aware are you that there are whole cars plastered with your image and your shoes?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I have heard about it. I have seen it on Twitter. Last time I rode a subway in New York I actually got hurt, so I avoid them.

Q. What happened?

MILOS RAONIC: The turnstile hit me really hard in the knee and I was limping for a little while.

Q. Can you explain to us how you felt the match went and your thoughts right now.

MILOS RAONIC: Well, I thought in general it was a good match if you sort of step away from it and you look at the whole thing. I wish I could have been let's say more efficient in many aspects, like my serve and other things. Especially in the beginning of the match I was just not figuring it out. I was losing my serve way too many times. This whole tournament, actually. But I kept fighting, and that's all I can ask. I fought through that third set. Then I felt like he sort of just got a little bit over me and I was just sort of the whole time playing to just stay alive.

Q. Considering the lateness of the match, the length of it, have you ever been in anything like that before?

MILOS RAONIC: No. It was fun how many people stuck around. I think the only thing that was a little bit awkward is you play first so you have to wake up at 5:00 a.m. to play first on whichever day it was, Saturday, and then the next day you're here till 4:00 a.m. It's a little bit weird, that aspect of scheduling. But other than that, the atmosphere and all those other factors was a lot of fun.

Q. Does it matter at all to you that you're going down in the record books tonight as one of the latest finishing matches at the US Open?

MILOS RAONIC: Not the slightest bit.

Q. Can you walk us through in that third set those two consecutive service games, eight break points, you held, just the mental strength that that required?

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah. I go up to the line and I focus on sort of simplifying things, what I needed to do, and I served well I believe on all of those. Maybe not one. I had to come up with a backhand down the line. Sort of at that point you're going through things and it was a lot of adrenaline going through the match. You just sort of deal with things as they come and you try to sort of slow yourself down at times. I was able to do well in that aspect and also got myself back in that tiebreak and give myself an opportunity.

Q. The last few games, can you describe the exhaustion.

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, it was quite tiring. It was a combination of fatigue, pain in some ways, and just not feeling like I would expect or hope to feel that late in a match.

Q. Now that the Grand Slam season is over for you, how do you feel about how you performed in the majors?

MILOS RAONIC: I got to play pretty much three slams, I would say, and I think it's much better than I have ever done before. One goal we set out was to make at least semifinals of a slam this year when we sat down at the beginning of December and talked. So I got that aspect. So those things are very positive. But then at the same time, when you're in that position, there's not really that much satisfaction from it.

Q. You mentioned feeling pain at the end. What kind of pain? Physical or emotional or both?

MILOS RAONIC: No. Just stuff I sort of been dealing with a little bit and you're sort of compensating over. You sort of find parts where you're not normally sore are getting sore. In that kind of aspect. Nothing really drastic.

Q. What shots made it difficult that Kei played today? How do you rate his performance?

MILOS RAONIC: I think in general just his foot speed was the most probably difficult part. He was taking the ball very early, controlling the center of the court. He was keeping himself in a lot of situations where someone might be out of position. He was getting himself in good position and giving himself good opportunity to swing at the ball properly.

Q. Did you feel any pressure?

MILOS RAONIC: No. It's a factor of it. He does return well. I believe I could have served much better.

Q. What's next for you?

MILOS RAONIC: When the time comes, I will go to Halifax.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... _FxZFZRUJz

Milos Raonic comes into the Swiss Indoors Basel with work to do in the Emirates ATP Race To London. Illness put paid to his challenge at the Shanghai Rolex Masters and a first-round exit in Moscow contributed to him being passed by Andy Murray and David Ferrer in the battle to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

After travelling to London as alternate for the season finale last year, the 23-year-old Raonic is eager to make sure he doesn’t miss out again. Currently 135 points behind the eighth-placed Murray, Raonic opens his Basel campaign on Tuesday against Steve Johnson, looking to bring his best tennis to the fore.

“I feel more confident because this is my best surface - indoor hard courts,” said Raonic. “It is the part of the year I look forward to most. Hopefully I can play my best tennis and make the most of this opportunity in Basel.


“I'm playing well. I was sick for a little while, but I'm getting healthy and fortunately I've been able to get that out my system and now I'm excited to get going here,” continued the Toronto native. “This is an important week, but I think everyone knows the [Emirates ATP] Race To London will come down to Paris.

“The players that are able to play their best tennis at this stage, are obviously going to earn the right to play in London. You just want to be able to play your best tennis in these next two weeks. It's hard at this time of year. Everybody's a little bit tired. But there is that extra motivation because everybody wants to be in London.”

Since visiting The O2 last November, Raonic has pushed on to break new ground in 2014. The right-hander reached his first Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon (l. to Federer), won his first ATP World Tour 500 crown in Washington (d. Pospisil) and finished runner-up in Tokyo to Kei Nishikori.

“Things have been going well,” said Raonic, who added Riccardo Piatti to his coaching team alongside Ivan Ljubicic this season. “I'm very happy with the progress I've made and that I'm continuing to make consistently. Those things are definitely a positive. Little goals I've set out throughout the year, I've been able to achieve. That's definitely a good thing.

“I just want to keep pushing myself to do better and I very eagerly want to do better.”

The eight-player singles field for the 2014 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals is set. Japan’s Kei Nishikori makes history by becoming the first Asian player to qualify for the season finale in singles after he beat David Ferrer in the BNP Paribas Masters quarter-finals today. As a result of Nishikori’s victory, Milos Raonic, who earlier beat Roger Federer in the Paris quarter-finals, also qualified for the first time. Raonic is the first Canadian player to qualify for the season finale in singles.

Nishikori and Raonic join two-time defending champion and 2008 titlist Novak Djokovic, six-time former winner Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Andy Murray, Tomas Berdych and Marin Cilic at The O2 in London from 9-16 November. Spain’s Rafael Nadal also qualified, but was forced to withdraw as he will undergo appendix surgery next week.

Nishikori broke into the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time on 12 May, becoming the first Asian player to rank among the elite since Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan on 29 March 2004. Coached by Michael Chang, who qualified for the season finale on seven occasions in his career, Nishikori beat three Top 10 players — Raonic, Wawrinka and Djokovic — en route to becoming the first Asian man to contest a Grand Slam championship final at the US Open (l. to Cilic). During a career-best 2014 campaign, Nishikori has amassed a 52-11 match record and lifted four ATP World Tour trophies at the U.S. National Indoor Tennis Championships (Memphis), Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur and the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships (Tokyo). He also finished runner-up in his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final at the Mutua Madrid Open.

Raonic has become the first player born in the 1990s to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The 23-year-old Raonic, who has reached 13 tour-level quarter-finals (or better) in a career-best season, lifted one title at the Citi Open in Washington, where be beat Vasek Pospisil in the first all-Canadian final in the Open Era. He also finished runner-up to Nishikori at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships (Tokyo) and reached two ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-finals at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome (l. to Djokovic) and the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati (l. to Federer). He reached his first Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon (l. to Federer). This year, Raonic has struck more than 1,000 aces in a season for the second time (also 2012).

The 2014 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals doubles field will feature 2003-04, ‘09 titlists Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan, 2008 and 2010 champions Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic, Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares, this year’s Roland Garros titlists Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin, Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau, 2012 season finale winners Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez, Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo, and Australian Open titlists Lukasz Kubot and Robert Lindstedt. The Bryans have already clinched the year-end No. 1 Emirates ATP Doubles Team Ranking for a record 10th time.

The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals has welcomed more than 1.25 million fans to The O2 arena over the past five years, establishing itself as the biggest indoor tennis tournament in the world since moving to London in 2009. Tickets can be purchased at: www.BarclaysATPWorldTourFinals.com

Milos Raonic pulled out his best tennis when it counted most on Friday at the BNP Paribas Masters as he defeated Roger Federer, 7-6(5), 7-5, for the first time in seven attempts to reach the semi-finals in Paris.

The Canadian also sealed his maiden berth at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals after fellow young gun Kei Nishikori beat David Ferrer in their quarter-final clash.

"It would have to be up there definitely at this stage of my career, with the level I have gotten myself to, that's for sure," commented Raonic on the upset victory. "And considering all the circumstances around it, I think this was the biggest win for me."

In Saturday's semi-finals, Raonic will face Tomas Berdych, who earlier booked his spot in London with victory over Kevin Anderson. Raonic leads Berdych 2-1 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series and is bidding to reach his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final. He finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal in Montreal last year.

Federer: All Is Not Lost

"I'm very motivated," Raonic added, referring to his performance in the Emirates ATP Race To London. "I think I have been sort of trying to find this level; fortunately I have been able to do so this week. I definitely struggled the last few weeks. If it wasn't sort of me biting away the whole time and having that kind of motivation to need and to want to do well here, I don't think I'd find the answers that I have this week."

Federer’s defeat gives Djokovic the chance to stretch his lead in their battle to finish the year as World No. 1. The Serb has a 670-point lead over Federer after defeating Andy Murray in the Paris quarter-finals.

Raonic fired 21 aces as he edged Federer in one hour and 33 minutes. The Toronto native saved a break point at 4-5, 30/40 in the second set before breaking Federer decisively in the following game. It is the first time that Raonic has beaten one of the Top 3.

In a few weeks’ time at the Davis Cup final, in Lille, the French will be cheering against Roger Federer—at least if Gilles Simon gets his way. Today, however, the Swiss star remained their hero. A fallen hero, it turned out, as he was beaten—although “brutalized” might be a better word—in the Paris Masters quarterfinals by No. 7 seed Milos Raonic.

The 23-year-old Canadian rained down 22 aces, an average of nearly two a game, in a tight 7-6 (5), 7-5 match that flew by in a mere hour and 33 minutes, or roughly the same amount of time it takes Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to decide a game that goes to deuce and ad. It was also a match in which the attack—Federer’s fearless approaches to the net and Raonic’s serve—figured so large that it seemed as if we had been thrown back two or three decades in time, back to when indoor matches like this one often were contested on fast carpet, back to when it was not entirely uncommon to describe a match by simply saying, “He served his opponent off the court.”

When was the last time you saw a match that could be described with that phrase?

While that could easily be said of today’s clash, there was more to it than that. After all, Raonic was 0-6 against Federer coming into this one, and in those six meetings he had broken Federer just once. Today he doubled that total. Hey, it’s a start.

Raonic had won first-set tiebreakers over Federer on two other occasions, only to lose his nerve and then his serve. Not this time. Perhaps Raonic ought to be put in the position of fighting for his competitive life more often.

That’s not a mere figure of speech, either. Raonic came into this match with a slim chance to qualify for the year-end ATP World Tour Finals, which begin in London in a little over a week. A lot will have to happen for Raonic to slip in under the wire, but none of that would have mattered had Federer, who has already qualified for London, won this match. A loss would have eliminated Raonic from the hunt.

Raonic has been a model of consistency throughout his brief career, yet he often has come up short, or pulled back, just when he seemed on the verge of a major breakthrough. Perhaps he has never felt quite the urgency he faced in today’s do-or-die situation. It’s something that he will have to think about in this off-season if he hopes to take that big step from Grand Slam contender to Grand Slam champion.

But let’s get back to those vital details that make it silly to grumble that all Raonic did was bang out aces. While Federer could not match his rival’s count in that department, he did hit eight of his own. More important, he attacked so effectively that he won his own service games with just as much alacrity as Raonic. In one three-game stretch in the first set, the games evaporated in, successively, 59, 52, and 60 seconds. And Federer served two of those three games, just in case you thought I’m trying to pull a fast one.

The importance of Raonic’s 22 aces was undeniable, and a 67 percent first-serve conversion rate certainly helped. But Raonic also won 65 percent of his second-serve points, which was 11 percentage points better than Federer’s total. Raonic was able to do that because he smacked 45 winners, loads of them with a devastating inside-out forehand, to the 25 managed by Federer. The 21 unforced errors by Raonic (compared to 13 by Federer) were a more than acceptable toll to pay. Note, too, that in rallies that lasted between five and nine shots, each man won the point 13 times. Usually, that’s an area where Federer has shown great superiority to Raonic, but not on this day.

Like other matches in which the role of the serve looms large—or used to loom large, when courts and balls were fast enough to reward the key shot in tennis—this one seemed destined to be decided by that age-old question: Who’s going to be the first to blink?

In both cases, the answer was: The all-time Grand Slam singles champion.

In the first set, Federer failed to capitalize on having won the first point of the tiebreaker. He dropped his ensuing two service points, the first by virtue of a Raonic volley winner, the second by a Raonic inside-out forehand placement. There were no more mini-breaks, and while Federer served his way through two set points for Raonic, the younger man closed him out at 6-5 with an ace.

In the second set, Federer had a set point in the 10th game, with Raonic serving at 4-5. But the 6’5” lad wouldn’t blink. He smacked ace number 22 to get to deuce, and then hit an unreturned serve and an inside-out forehand winner to hold for 5-all.

In the very next game, a pair of errors by Federer put Raonic up, 15-30. Raonic then hit the shot of the match, an inside out cross-court forehand service-return winner that brought him to break point. He converted it with a cross-court backhand passing shot that Federer couldn’t touch. Raonic served out the match comfortably, ending it with yet another forehand winner off a Federer service return.

© Getty Images Milos Raonic is through to his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final

One day after recording one of the biggest wins of his career over Roger Federer to earn his place at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, Milos Raonic backed up with another strong performance to reach his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final.

The 23-year-old Raonic edged Tomas Berdych 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 on Saturday in the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Masters to set a final clash against defending champion Novak Djokovic.

"There was a lot of motivation from wanting to make London and I didn't want to have any type of a letdown today," Raonic told Sky Sports. "I knew I'd made it last night and I didn't want there to be any doubt in my mind about a letdown. So I put even more pressure on myself to make sure that the mental and physical energy was there, to really push myself, because I really wanted to win the match today.

"I'm fortunate to have plenty of matches ahead of me now. For a while, it looked like I wouldn't have that opportunity, but I made the most of this week. I've been playing great and it's about making that last and making each win as special as the one before and trying to go all the way."

Raonic reached his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final last year on home soil, finishing runner-up to Rafael Nadal in the championship match at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal. This year, he has reached the quarter-finals or better at seven of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments.

A 25-shot rally saw Raonic engineer a breakthrough in the fourth game of the first set, but Berdych struck back in the second set, levelling the match with an early break. The match looked set for a deciding tie-break, but Berdych paid the price for a spate of unforced errors in the 12th game. The Czech hit two double faults to trail 15/30 and two more errors helped Raonic to victory in two hours and nine minutes.

“I got a little fortunate there at the end of the match,” said Raonic, who won 90 per cent of his first serve points. “I was focusing on my service games. I know that's where my game starts from; I've got to take care of my serve. Fortunately, I was able to do so and it worked out at the end there. I'm grateful and I've got to keep pushing forward.”

"I just totally messed it up with the last game," lamented Berdych. "It was definitely the worst game I ever played here at this tournament this year. You have days like this where things are going well, and then just at the last moment, everything is gone."

Milos Raonic enjoyed a career week at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris, despite succumbing to top seed Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-3 in Sunday's final.

The World No. 10 was unable to derail Djokovic in his date with destiny, as the Serb claimed his 600th match win and 20th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown, but Raonic made history of his own at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy.

Now a two-time finalist at the Masters 1000 level, having advanced as far on home soil last year at the Rogers Cup, the 23 year old became the first player born in the 1990s, and the first Canadian, to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. The young gun also registered his biggest win to date, ousting second-seed Roger Federer in straight sets in the quarter-finals. It's been an ideal week for the rising star with the season finale only seven days away.

"I think the toughest thing in going to London for the first time is to adapt to not having those early round matches where you find your way into the event, tournament, per se," said Raonic. "You're going to have to be obviously with a limited expectation, because you can't be really expected to play your best tennis in your first match. But you will have to find a way to accelerate the search for solutions, the search of a certain level of tennis. It's going to be something new to me, but I'm more than ready to make that adjustment if need be."

The big-serving Raonic struggled to find a rhythm against Djokovic's seemingly impenetrable defence, firing under 10 aces (nine) in a completed match for the first time since suffering a semi-final loss to Roger Federer in Cincinnati – a 17-match streak. Following Sunday's final, Raonic had nothing but praise for the World No. 1, admitting he felt the pressure on his serve from the start.

"He just made life difficult for me today," added the Canadian. "Every time he put his racquet on the ball, he was making me play a deep ball. And the short one, even if he gave me a short one and I would attack, he would be there. So I think it just elevated a certain pressure or demand of having to serve close to the lines.

"I thought he played some great tennis; neutralised my serve well. Even when I was able to open him on the backhand side, he was moving really well. He was always getting two hands on it. He was never defending with the slice. And when he was, whether that be off a serve or me trying to be aggressive, he was always playing it deep. He didn't really give me too many looks. Even on the break chances I had, he played them well."

With a 49-18 record in 2014, Raonic will be looking to compile 50 match wins in a season for the first time, when he opens his London campaign. Completing the Emirates ATP Race To London with 4,440 points, he will be joined by Djokovic, Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori, Andy Murray, Tomas Berdych and Marin Cilic at The O2 from 9-16 November.

@SkySportsTennis asked you to send in your questions for ATP Tour Finalist Milos Raonic and here we've complied the best of the bunch...

@SkySportsTennis @milosraonic What is your favourite soccer(football) team? #AskMilos
.@TevonMUFC My favourite team is FCBarcelona since I got to watch a few games there over the 2 years I trained in Barcelona

@SkySportsTennis Who is your favourite player of these three: Djokovic, Federer, or Nadal ? #askmilos
.@DarkoMitro I am a bit fan of all three of them and admire what each has done for the sport over the last decade

@SkySportsTennis @milosraonic What do you most like about London? #AskMilos
.@habeebalamina I love the diversity in London, of people and great food. It a big city and something always exciting and fun is happening.

@SkySportsTennis @milosraonic is it feels different to be in the ATP WTFINAL for first time or it's just another tournament ? #AskMilos
.@Heidi_Rajab_ Its definitely special, they really make a big effort to make the event special for all the players.

@SkySportsTennis @milosraonic #AskMilos Why do you wear a sleeve on your left arm? I ask this in earnest because I really have no idea.
.@abalcala I have grown to love the comfort since I wore it for the first time in Miami. I wear it on my right arm. #BelieveInTheSleeve

@SkySportsTennis @ATPWorldTour @milosraonic #AskMilos who is your favorite tennis player? And favorite sports person?
.@vikwhitetiger @ATPWorldTour Pete Sampras and Michael Jordan are both huge idols of mine.

@milosraonic you have a great success in Canada, do you feel the pressure from your country and how do you manage it? #AskMilos #Skytennis
.@NickDella95 I feel I always put the most pressure on myself and I try to just focus on the things I can control & avoid the things I cant.

@SkySportsTennis #AskMilos what is Milos favourite tournament (grandslam or masters) of the year to play in & why
.@Cody__B_ I love the prestige at Wimbledon, also my result there this year definitely helps.

@SkySportsTennis @ATPWorldTour @milosraonic Before each serve, you either bounce the ball 6 or 8 times. A conscious thing? #AskMilos
.@maxlep14 Yes, I focus on it and count it to calm my mind before the point.

@SkySportsTennis @milosraonic What would be your dream match and dream doubles partner? #AskMilos
.@SJSutton5150 I would love to play against Agassi, and I would love to play with Pete Sampras

@SkySportsTennis Speed or Placement,which you think is more important for services? #AskMilos
.@VamosCule Definitely placement, speed is easy to deal with if the serve is not accurate.

@SkySportsTennis @milosraonic who is the toughest player you played against ? #AskMilos
.@ossgooner The top players of this generation are all tough and you are competing with some of the best players of all time.

@SkySportsTennis what do you think you have most improved in your game in the past year? #AskMilos
.@mitchdods My tennis knowledge about myself, and my ability to move forward on to the net and finish points there.

@SkySportsTennis @milosraonic #AskMilos Any plans for Christmas?
.@Justvh I just want to spend time with my family and friends, where ever that may be in the world.

@SkySportsTennis describe Novak in some words #AskMilos
.@FCNovakDjokovic Intelligent, talented, and funny. All in all a good person.

@SkySportsTennis If you weren't a tennis player then what job would you have? #AskMilos
.@5seconds0fbecca I would love to be playing in the NBA on the Toronto @Raptors

#AskMilos @milosraonic @SkySportsTennis What is your favorite surface?(mine is hard court)
.@Ola_Maurud Hard courts for me as well.

#AskMilos what advice do you have for young aspiring tennis players?
.@sfcli96 Hard work always pays off.

@SkySportsTennis City or Nature person ? #askmilos
@Abd_fed I love big cities, such as London, Toronto, and New York.

@SkySportsTennis Best moment in your career till now?#AskMilos
.@VamosCule Making the SemiFinals at @Wimbledon

Milos Raonic is hoping to hit top form immediately on his debut at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

“For me the main focus, which is very different from any other week, is finding my best tennis right from the first match,” said Raonic, at his pre-tournament press conference.

As the first Canadian to appear in the singles competition at the season finale, Raonic will take on Roger Federer in their Group B opener at The O2 in London on Sunday.

Raonic beat Federer 7-6(5), 7-5 in the BNP Paribas Masters quarter-finals, which went a long way in helping him to qualify for this week’s prestigious tournament. The pair also met in the semi-finals at Wimbledon and the Western & Southern Open, which Federer won.

The 23 year old insists, “It’s a brand new match. The last three times we have played, we have both played a lot of matches coming into the event. This time it is from the get-go. We have to find our form. Roger has done it many times. I am going to have to find a way to find my game quickly.”

Should Raonic win, it would be his 50th match victory of the season that includes one ATP World Tour title at the Citi Open (d. Pospisil) and runner-up finishes at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships (l. to Nishikori) and at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Paris (l. to Djokovic).

“The general excitement of being here in London puts everything aside,” said Raonic. “Qualifying for here signifies mostly a successful and year and it is now about trying to end the on an exclamation mark.”

Coaches by Ivan Ljubicic and Riccardo Piatti, Raonic is currently No. 8 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.