Milos Raonic

[Mario]

McEnroe wygadał się w Game Set Mats, że po RG dołączy do Moyi i pomoże mu rzeźbić w drewnie.

[Damian]

John McEnroe to work with Raonic at Wimbledon

Spoiler:

John McEnroe will join Milos Raonic's team as a coaching consultant for Wimbledon.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion announced on Eurosport that he would be helping the 24-year-old Canadian on grass.

"I think he can win majors," said McEnroe, adding that he expects the big-serving Raonic to be a contender at Wimbledon. "...I think Milos is a great guy. He's very dedicated, very professional. I just want to consult, be part of this team; add a little bit, if I can, on his quest on grass. I'm excited about the opportunity."

Raonic is coached by Carlos Moya and Ricardo Piatti.

http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2016/05/ ... 0nHd1di5E4

[Lucas]

[Damian]

Just the beginning? Raonic wants to extend partnership with McEnroe

http://www.tennis.com/pro-game/2016/06/ ... 2WEcTX25mV

[Lucas]

Finał Queen's Club 2016.


ca.sports.yahoo.com

25-letni Kanadyjczyk zameldował się w swoim 3. finale ATP w tym roku (1-2). W finale prestiżowej imprezy w londyńskim Queen's Clubie nie dał rady Andy'emu Murrayowi.

Był to 18. zawodowy finał Milosa (8-10).

Milos Raonic - przegrane finały (10):
2016 (2) Queen's Club, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells
2015 (1) Brisbane
2014 (2) ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Paryż, Tokio
2013 (2) Tokio, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Kanada
2012 (2) Tokio, Memphis
2011 (1) Memphis

[Barty]

Milos Raonic: John McEnroe most energetic 57-year-old I know

Spoiler:

QUEEN'S CLUB, London -- The Rage Against the Machine t-shirt worn by John McEnroe in the players' box may have been an apt choice, as Milos Raonic feels his coach has given him a new aggression.

Raonic progressed to the quarterfinals at the Aegon Championships to keep up his impressive form under the tutelage of the seven-time Grand Slam winner, who has joined the Canadian's team for the grass-court season.

Set to pass Tomas Berdych as world No.8 next week, Raonic feels his shared interests with the American are helping him on and off the court. But those interests may not extend to a certain U.S. rock band.

"I don't know if I share as much of an interest with rock and roll music," the 25-year-old told a press conference with a smile. "I like stuff from a few generations ago, as well. I'd rather go to a Billy Joel concert. But I'm sure he's been to many of those and he enjoys them too."

Raonic added of their partnership: "It's fun, it's really nice. He's probably the most energetic 57-year-old I know. We laugh. We share a lot in common off court. He loves art, as well, and he has a lot more experience in it than I do.

"We discuss that quite a bit. It's been a pleasure working with him. He's definitely enticed me on and off the court."

Raonic said that tactically, McEnroe has encouraged him to be more aggressive earlier in points, which he would sometimes "give up".

"It's more about showing my presence," he added. "Sometimes I can be too calm. Just sometimes to let the guy know who is on the other side of the net that I'm there, I'm ready to play. That can wear on a guy throughout a long match if it's close."

Raonic is also keen to extend his collaboration with McEnroe beyond the end of Wimbledon.

"It has to be structured in the way where it can be beneficial and not too much," he added. "When I brought John on and asked him if he would like to be part of this project, there was never an intention of I just want to be better on grass.

"That was far from it. I wanted to take this time to improve considerably and it's the same things that I can incorporate and use on grass now, and keep using it on hard courts. I think it will pay off well for me.

"We haven't really discussed it [continuing together]. If it was ever to come about, it would have to be quite a limited amount of weeks. He has a lot of commitments.

"You still see him around tournaments a lot, but the question is how much time does he have when he's commentating and so forth. He's got a pretty full plate, that's for sure.

"He can help me a lot during tournaments, but I think with how much energy he has, he could be the most beneficial for me leading up to tournaments, and then helping me throughout tournaments, whether that be from close or from afar for upcoming at Wimbledon."

http://espn.go.com/tennis/story/_/id/16 ... billy-joel

[Damian]

[DUN I LOVE]

Dzisiaj, pokonując Goffina, Milos po raz pierwszy w karierze odrobił straty od stanu 0-2 w setach.

[Lucas]

Milos Raonic: Third round Wimbledon 2016

Milos Raonic speaks to the media after his 7-6(2), 6-4, 7-6(1) win over Jack Sock

Spoiler:

Q. Seemed almost like a heavyweight bout with the two serves going back and forth. Were you enjoying that?
MILOS RAONIC: Obviously you want a few more looks on his serve. I think I created quite a few there towards the third set. Played way too passive on pretty much all of them. One of them he had an incredible forehand cross court.
I'm happy with the way I was able to get it done in three sets and move on and give myself another challenge looking forward.
Q. What were your thoughts when you learned that Djokovic had lost?
MILOS RAONIC: Nothing really changed. It was obviously a surprise. You know where you stand with that, so you push a little harder.

Q. You and Jack Sock have a couple of weapons in common. What do you think you do better than him and have such a good record against him?
MILOS RAONIC: I think I'm a bit more efficient on serving than he is. He has a heavy forehand. But I think the thing that's really made the difference is a little more efficiency on the serve. A lot of tiebreak sets we've played, I think I have a considerably better record when it comes to tiebreaks. I think that's been a positive for me.
Q. You have a completely different matchup next round. What do you need to adjust, if anything?
MILOS RAONIC: I definitely need to be more aggressive. Obviously it's very different. I think I was a bit too passive too often, especially on the important moments. Obviously I'll get more looks on his serve. Sort of find my way in and continue the efficiency on serving.
Q. There's serves and forehands and everything. That little mental edge you have having won so many times over him...
MILOS RAONIC: You definitely try to impose yourself when things aren't going that well. In those tiebreaks, you try to let him know you're there. It's not something that you're oblivious to. It can make a subtle difference, but that subtle difference can be enough.
Q. Can you say what you know about David's game?
MILOS RAONIC: David is very solid. I think the best part of his game is probably his movement. He serves well, returns well, does all these things well. Has a great backhand as well. It's tough to play him because you try to find a way to impose yourself on him. He does a lot of things well.
Hopefully I can take that comfort away from him and play on my terms.
Q. Awhile since you've been on Centre Court. Any adjustment or did it feel better?
MILOS RAONIC: Definitely felt better than when I was there last time. Definitely took me a little bit to get settled there. It's quite a different center court to me than anywhere else, at least meaning wise. I'm happy I had the opportunity to play on it. Hopefully I can see that chance rise up in the next few matches as well.
Q. A few times recently you said you got too passive. Why does that happen? Is it difficult to redline the aggressiveness and how do you snap yourself out of it?
MILOS RAONIC: I think, you know, you have three chances on break at that Love 40 game I had. The first one I was too passive with the backhand. The next one I actually played well, he hit that incredible short forehand cross court off a low ball, which in my mind is not a high percentage shot, but he came up with it.
Then there's a few balls, I just hesitated. It was a great return, a short ball, I sort of let it drop, where it could be an easy opportunity to come in. I think I'm winning a considerable percentage of points when I do come in. So just these little things.
I think I always try to make myself aware that everything that's short or there, go forward, don't wait for the ball to come to you. Sometimes it's easier to adjust to; sometimes the legs are a little bit slower than you want them to be. At least I'm aware of it.
Q. Are you getting better at not hesitating or hesitating less because of the repetition?
MILOS RAONIC: Yes. I think that's the thing. I think if you sort of start that way, it's easy to get into it. There wasn't much rhythm throughout the match, which is a good thing for me as well. But when you get those looks, you sort of don't have that rhythm of pouncing on the short ball right away. I think that was an aspect to it, as well.
Q. Novak has taken up so much air and space the last year and a half, two years of the game. Can you speak to what he's achieved. Does the tournament feel different overall with him out of the picture?
MILOS RAONIC: Probably it will, but not significantly. You still have great champions that are in the tournament. You have Andy that's won this tournament. You have Roger that's won it I believe seven or eight times, seven times, been here in the finals ten times. There's these marquee players that are still there.
Obviously everybody would like to have that storyline of waiting for Novak to be the first guy to win the first three slams of the year since Rod Laver. He's the first guy since Rod to be holding all four slams. There's a storyline to it.
At the end of the day, no player is bigger than the tournament. The tournament goes on. There's people fighting to make a difference for themselves.
Q. Are you aware of where the BBC television booth is? Do you know who was in there today?
MILOS RAONIC: I know John was commentating the match. I'm not aware of where the booth was. I know where it should be. I think some of them have glass that you can't see through.
Q. Zverev played today, has to play tomorrow, maybe Monday. You're on a normal schedule. You got delayed once.
MILOS RAONIC: Got delayed twice. The Seppi match got canceled the first time and then this one got canceled yesterday.
Yes, you appreciate those things. Obviously it's difficult what he's having to go through. But I'm sure it's going to make him stronger. I'm sure he'll be in that scenario where he's a top player and that's not really as much of a concern.
Q. You said you want to be more aggressive, not too passive. Is that the thing John McEnroe repeats to you every day?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, pretty much. I think it's about taking time away from the guy, making the guy feel uncomfortable and playing on my terms. When I'm on my terms, it's dictating and being aggressive. I'm by no means a counter puncher and that's not how I'm going to succeed.
Q. Did you get a chance to speak with John before the match?
MILOS RAONIC: We spoke about it two days ago, obviously because I was looking to play yesterday. Yeah, we had a discussion about the match.
When we talk, obviously we adjust a few things to the guy I'm playing. But it's very internal discussions on what I need to do. When I do those things, the kind of looks I'll get, how to manage those situations as well as possible.
Q. What part of your game today are you most proud of?
MILOS RAONIC: I stepped up when I needed to. There wasn't a lot of pretty tennis out there, some hesitation, too passive. But I got it done, and I got it done in three sets. That makes a difference down the road.

http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/art ... und16.html

[Damian]

Raonic Makes Great Escape At Wimbledon

Spoiler:

Canadian reaches QF over Goffin
Milos Raonic was a set away from being knocked out of Wimbledon, but rallied to beat David Goffin 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the fourth round on Monday. The Canadian had never before recovered from a two-set-to-love deficit. Goffin had only lost one five-set match at a Grand Slam championship prior to Monday, against Fernando Verdasco at the 2013 Australian Open (4-1).
“It's the first time for me and probably the most significant situation for me to come back from two sets down,” Raonic said. “I definitely felt good about that. Hopefully it’s a nice pivotal match for me.”
In the first two sets, Goffin limited the big-serving Raonic to nine aces and converted three of eight break point chances. The Belgian, under the guidance of 2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson, was able to use his speed and court sense to counter Raonic’s net attacks. Raonic only won 14 of 30 net points and found himself trailing by two sets after just over an hour of play.
A short rain delay allowed Raonic to refocus. The 2014 semi-finalist was more incisive off the ground and went for bigger serves upon resumption. In the final three sets, he only faced one break point and did not drop serve. A break of serve in the fifth game of the deciding set put the No. 6 seed in the commanding position. Raonic set up match point with an unplayable 140 mph serve, then closed out the win with an inside-out forehand winner after three hours and five minutes. He finished with 22 aces and 53 winners, while Goffin had 12 aces and 44 winners.
“I think I allowed him to play too much on his terms [in the first two sets],” Raonic said. “I was getting a lot of balls in and playing maybe better‑looking tennis at the beginning. I sort of gave up on that and started playing on my terms. Maybe I committed a few more unforced errors, but I was hitting through the court more, not allowing him to play the way he wanted to.”
In the quarter-finals, Raonic will face giant-killer Sam Querrey. The American, who was coming off an upset of World No. 1 and defending champion Novak Djokovic, maintained his momentum by downing Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-4 in just under two hours.
“I felt like I did great today. Nicolas is tough. I've lost to him the last two times I played him. I knew in my mind it was going to be a tough match. I was really, really happy with the way I played today,” said Querrey, whose serve-forehand combination allowed him to overpower the crafty Frenchman. The No. 28 seed hit 53 winners, including 23 aces, and broke serve three times to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final.
Querrey has not faced Raonic at tour-level since 2013, but does hold a 2-1 edge in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry. The American played the Canadian at Wimbledon in 2012 and prevailed 6-7(3), 7-6(7), 7-6(8), 6-4.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/rao ... ledon-2016

[Lucas]

Milos Raonic: Fourth round Wimbledon 2016

Milos Raonic talks to the media after the 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win against David Goffin

Spoiler:

Q. I guess the obvious question is, why were you so poor at the beginning and so fantastic at the end?
MILOS RAONIC: I think I allowed him to play too much on his terms. I was getting a lot of balls in and playing the points and playing maybe better looking tennis at the beginning. I sort of gave up on that and said, I got to play this on my terms. Maybe committed a few more unforced errors, but was hitting through the court more, not allowing him to play the way he wanted to.
Q. How good did you feel at the end?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, of course. It's the first time for me and probably the most significant situation for me to come back from two sets to love down. I definitely felt good about that.
Hopefully a nice pivotal match for me.
Q. What was going through your mind after you lost the second set and you were sitting on your chair?
MILOS RAONIC: I just had to change something, had to change the way the match was happening, all the things that were happening on the court. It was too much on his terms. I was allowing him to play too much, get too much rhythm. The points were too long. He was feeling good, he was doing a lot of good things at the beginning. I wanted to take that away from him.
Q. Do you think you would have had the mental strength to do what you did today a year ago, two years ago?
MILOS RAONIC: Maybe I would have had the mental strength, but I don't know if I would have had the exact same perspective on what I needed to do in those right moments. I think that's probably the general understanding of myself and my game that I have significantly improved on. That helped.
Q. When do you think the momentum firmly shifted in that match? Can you pick a moment or a point?
MILOS RAONIC: I think sort of when he, let's say, gave me a little bit that first break in the third set. He had the double fault. He had that backhand down the line that was just a bit long. He gave me a look at that. That sort of just told me, Okay, I can get him out of his element, which he definitely was in in the beginning. That was sort of a sign that, you know, there's something to work with here, I just got to exploit it.
Q. You said you were playing too much his style, pretty tennis. Are you often tempted to try to play more Goffin like tennis than your style?
MILOS RAONIC: I think it's feel good tennis. You're out there, hitting a lot of balls, you're getting in these long rallies, you're feeling the ball. That's the last thing I want, not just for myself, but for the other guy.
Obviously I'll get a lot of free points on my serve. Then it's about sort of taking the game away from the other guy. Even if I miss 10 balls in a row, as long as it's not on my serve. When you put those ones in, the guy won't have the rhythm of hitting 20 shots in the last 10 points. He has no rhythm.
So either he sort of might pull back and be hesitant, and that gives me some more looks, or he's going to go for it and maybe not have that rhythm and momentum. Maybe he can sort of make some mistakes. Just sort of keeps more pressure on him.
Q. When you watch tennis, do you prefer watching guys like Goffin or guys like you or Querrey?
MILOS RAONIC: I think it's more the matchups. I think I try to learn from everybody, whether that be David, top guys, everybody. I try to sort of pay attention to what's working for them.
Q. When you face Sam, it's been a while since you've played each other, how would you describe the similarities in your game and your observations of the state of his game to get to here after beating Novak?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I think he must be doing great things. Today was definitely not an easy match by any means for him, especially coming back after that huge upset, all that came with that.
He stepped up today against a difficult opponent on grass who's been playing well, many years on grass, and especially was playing this year well.
I'm sure he's serving well, from what I've seen. I'll take the time to watch more. He's obviously doing a lot of good things with his forehand. I see he's coming forward a bit more.
We pretty much try to do the same thing. Maybe I try to sort of push the aspect of coming in a bit more than he does. But I think we're pretty much going to try to play on our own terms.
Serve is going to be important. But it's really going to be about who can throw the other guy off.
Q. What did his victory over Novak say to you about his game?
MILOS RAONIC: It was incredible to see. There were so many moments where, you know, first there's the rain delay. You're like, Okay, maybe this will turn around. Then you had that third set that was pretty one sided. A lot of looks in the fourth. He stuck through with that.
I'm sure he sent a message to other players, as well, that he's ready to play.
Q. During the match, there was this funny situation where you specifically asked a spectator to go to Centre Court and commentate for the BBC. How would you deal with the situation? What do you think?
MILOS RAONIC: It's okay. I understood what we were getting into when I asked him to help me. But after, I believe it was at 3 1, the little rain delay, they didn't let us come all the way back here. We went in the rooms that they have under the court. He came there and spoke with me. I didn't look up for a while, but then he was gone after.
You know, I'm out there playing by myself. Nobody can win those points for me except for myself. That's what I was trying to do.
Q. How is it working with John here at Wimbledon? Is he saying anything to you that's really new to you that you hadn't thought of?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, I think he's just enforcing things. He's probably talking to me more about my attitude on court in a different way, let's say, than the other guys I have around me.
He's telling me to go out there and impose myself more, maybe be not necessarily more loud about it, but make sure the other guy knows you're there.
We've spent quite a bit of time. I just saw him now because he finished his commentating responsibility for the day. I'm sure he'll be there for practice tomorrow 'cause we practice quite early, before he has any matches, I believe, to call.
So I see him quite a fair bit. We're staying at a house close by. He's come by after his days as well to discuss things.
Q. In the second part of the match, your serving went way up, too. Is that a part of a function of everything?
MILOS RAONIC: I think it is. You take the rhythm away from him, then he knows how important the return is. Just puts a little bit more pressure on him.
Obviously I got it back more on my terms. I felt like I was just letting him get too many looks. I tried to sort of keep him uncomfortable.
Q. Anything about the mechanics of the serve? Why would it be so much better?
MILOS RAONIC: I think I started serve volleying more, just going through the core a bit more. I don't know what my percentages were like, but obviously I was getting a lot more free points. I don't think I hit significantly more aces. I think I probably had more aces in the beginning.
Q. He did get a lot of points off your serve in the first two sets. If he could get his racquet on it, he was returning it. Were you startled by how well he coped with your biggest weapon?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, he moves well. He's got quick feet. Because he doesn't have a long reach, I thought maybe I could get around him a bit more. He was leaning the right way most times. Definitely was expecting maybe a bit more free points when it comes to my serve.
But I just sort of tried to keep mixing it up. I think that's maybe one thing I did not do enough in the beginning. I wasn't expecting necessarily that many serves to come back. Then I sort of tried to power through him.
After, I tried to hit some slower, faster serves. Even if he got his racquet on the ball, it wasn't the same timing he was playing with.
Q. A lot of people circled the match between you and Djokovic as a blockbuster match. Now it's not going to happen. Any part of you wish you got a shot at him?
MILOS RAONIC: Definitely. It's something we worked at. It is what it is. I'm not going to complaining by any means what's ahead of me right now. Sam deserves to be there. I've earned my right to be there, as well. I'm going to fight hard to try to win that match.
Q. Do you know if John was able to follow your match whilst he was commentating?
MILOS RAONIC: I believe he does have an extra monitor in there. I'm sure he asked them to turn it to my match. I know he did. We spoke about it previously.
Q. Do you think you're proving to yourself and opponents that you can come back from two sets down, stepping up into the elite tiers with Djokovic?
MILOS RAONIC: I don't know if it's there. They've done it significantly more times than I have. But it definitely does send a message.
Q. Were you disappointed at all not to be on Centre Court?
MILOS RAONIC: I didn't expect to be by any means. Obviously, today is the, let's say, more entertainment friendly day of the tournament. You have both men's and women's round of 16s. I didn't expect by any means to be on either Centre Court or Court 1, let's say.
Q. You've done a lot of mental work off court. In this particular match and situation, do you take that benefit of this work?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I think it does. It's about the time I've spent working improving mentally has been about staying in the moment, not looking ahead and not looking behind. I think that was one of the more important things that made a difference for me today.
I stayed in the moment and I just tried to deal with what was ahead of me, the next point. I tried to put it together, and I was able to do so.
Q. You're known for applying everything you have to improve your game, become a better professional. I believe you have three coaches or advisers now. We saw Nick Kyrgios out there today. He's such a fabulous talent, a great entertainer. He doesn't seem to really be applying all he can to get to his goals. Do you have any thoughts about that?
MILOS RAONIC: I don't know if that's necessarily a fair judgment. I think he does work pretty hard and I think he does try to improve.
I think we probably have a very different perspective on the way we go about it. I'm sure he has strong people around him, and he has the people he feels he needs around him.
I think probably we both feel we have very different needs. The way I've always looked at it is, don't spare any expense when it comes to improving. Maybe some other guys look at it a different way.
I have three coaches here, not here right now, but around me. I have numerous physios I alternate. I have a fitness guy. I have numerous people that either come to tournaments or are taking care of me behind the scenes. I feel that's what I need.
Q. You're saying Nick just might feel like he might want more of a freeform?
MILOS RAONIC: I don't believe John really traveled with anybody, other than Palafox for six months, throughout his whole career until he hired Larry at the end where he tried to really assemble a team. He was just there with his manager going to tournaments. He was just having dinner each night with Peter Fleming because they were playing doubles together. That's what he felt he needed.
I've looked to other people to really try to help me, try to get the most out of me, because I think that would be my biggest regret if I didn't do everything I could.
Q. Regarding David Goffin, would you rate him as the fastest on the tour right now?
MILOS RAONIC: There's a lot of people competing. He probably has some of the better footwork. It's hard to say who the fastest is.
You have Novak, who maybe has a bit more reach than him, so probably is able to get his hands on more things. But it's hard to put it. But you definitely notice that his footwork is probably his biggest weapon.

http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/art ... und16.html

[Damian]

Wimbledon 2016: pierwszy wielkoszlemowy finał!


www.sportskeeda.com

25-letni Kanadyjczyk zadebiutuje dziś w wielkoszlemowym finale. Ogółem będzie to jego 19. zawodowy finał (8-10).

[6] Milos Raonic (CAN) d. [3] Roger Federer (SUI) 6-3 6-7(3) 4-6 7-5 6-3

[Damian]

Raonic Comes Back To Beat Federer At Wimbledon

Spoiler:

Canadian will play in first Grand Slam final

Milos Raonic fought back to beat Roger Federer for a shot at his first Grand Slam title at The Championships on Sunday.

The sixth seed came back 6-3, 6-7(3), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in three hours and 24 minutes to knock out the third seed and seven-time Wimbledon champion, who had opportunities to seize momentum and the match in the fourth set. In Sunday's final, Raonic will face second seed and 2013 champion Andy Murray, who beat No. 10 seed Tomas Berdych, the 2010 finalist, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in under two hours.

“It's definitely a great feeling,” Raonic said.

Watch Match Highlights (not available in UK, USA, South America, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain and Australia)

The final will be a re-match of the Aegon Championships last month. Murray was down a set and a break before coming back to win a record fifth title there 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3. "I have a great opportunity," Raonic said.

You May Also Like: Murray Flawless In Victory Over Berdych

The 25 year old becomes the first Canadian man to make a Grand Slam championship final. He also breaks a five-match losing streak against Top 3 opponents in the Emirates ATP Rankings and earns a bit of revenge against Federer, who swept Raonic 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in their 2014 Wimbledon semi-final.

For a while on Friday, it looked like Raonic would add a third loss to his career Grand Slam semi-final record (also 2016 Australian Open). After a near-perfect start, Raonic fell behind two sets to one after Federer had worked his way back into their 12th FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting. Raonic was unable to attack the net in light of Federer's brilliance from the baseline and on his serve.

Late in the fourth set, Raonic took advantage of some rare shaky serving from Federer. Federer served at 5-6, 40/0 and had held for 18 consecutive games, dating back to when Raonic broke at 1-2 in the first set.

But Raonic hit a forehand winner to get to 40/15 and Federer donated two double faults to bring the game to deuce. On his third set point, Raonic struck a backhand pass to force a decider. He celebrated with a scream and a fist pump to his team.

“I can't believe I served a double fault twice. Unexplainable for me really,” Federer said. “Very sad about that and angry at myself because never should I allow him to get out of that set that easily.”

Read More: Thank You, Not Farewell Federer Tells Wimbledon

Federer regrouped in the fifth set and held to love in the second game. But at 1-2, Federer slipped on the grass and briefly saw a trainer. At deuce, he hit another double fault and Raonic smacked a forehand winner for his third service break of the contest. Serving for the match, the 6'5” right-hander showed no nerves and held at love.

“I kept plugging away... I just kept trying to do the right things for me,” Raonic said.

The Canadian was under pressure the entire fourth set. He had to come back to hold in four of his six service games and save three break points.

He couldn't have asked for a better start to Friday's first semi-final, though. Raonic controlled the opener with his serve and forehand, successfully avoiding rallies with Federer. The Canadian won eight of his 12 net points. He also benefited from a Federer double fault on the set's lone break point and had a one-set lead after 35 minutes.

Raonic kept up his attacking tennis in the second set, but Federer squeaked out the tie-break after benefiting from a Raonic double fault at 3/3 in the tie-break.

The third set, however, was all Federer. He found his rhythm on his serve and kept Raonic behind the baseline. Federer landed 61 per cent of his first serves in the third set, up from 54 per cent in the first two sets. Raonic only saw seven net points in the third set after approaching 26 times in the first two sets with good success.

In the fourth set, Raonic returned to his aggressive play when he needed it most and just in time to achieve a lifelong dream and reach his first Grand Slam final.

"I'm by no means done," he said.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/fed ... 16-friday2

[Damian]

Raonic Says Attitude Helped Wimbledon Breakthrough

Spoiler:

Canadian has changed how he handles his emotions on court

Two years ago, Milos Raonic arrived at the Wimbledon semi-finals eager to upset Roger Federer. Instead, the Canadian was swept away from Centre Court 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

On Friday, during their Wimbledon semi-final re-match, the result hardly could have been more different. Raonic showed fight that he lacked two years ago and somehow stayed in the semi-final contest, despite being down two sets to one against the seven-time champion.

The 25 year old battled to break Federer to win the fourth set and managed to grab one more break in the fifth set before moving into his first final at a Grand Slam championship.

The difference, Raonic said, was his attitude.

“Obviously what happened here two years ago, I was very disappointed with,” Raonic said of his first major semi-final in 2014. “Today, I persevered. I was plugging away. I was struggling through many parts of the match... [My] attitude kept me in the match. I think that's what made the biggest difference.”

You May Also Like: Raonic Comes Back To Beat Federer At Wimbledon

Raonic was vocal throughout the contest, celebrating his big points, such as when he broke Federer to even the match at two sets apiece. He also used his emotions to fire himself up when he wasn't playing as well.

In the past, Raonic said, he wouldn't have taken that approach.

“Two years ago, I bottled up all the difficulties I had on court and never got it out,” he said. “Today, I found a way to keep plugging away, keep myself in the match, then turn it around. I was quite more vocal and a lot more positive on court.”

Raonic said all three of his coaches – former World No. 1 Carlos Moya, Riccardo Piatti and three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe – have helped him become more animated on court. But McEnroe has especially stressed that point.

Read More: Flashback: Raonic - The Quest For Perfection (July 2014)

“He's definitely put an emphasis on it. A lot of times I felt in matches that I need to sort of calm myself down to let things from getting out of control,” Raonic said.

But McEnroe, known as a lively character in his playing days, thought Raonic had been too quiet on court. “'Try to get energy out of you, try to get it out of you on court and leave it all out there,'” Raonic said McEnroe has told him.

Before the semi-final against Federer, McEnroe again told Raonic to leave it all out on the court. Raonic followed his advice, and now he'll have a chance to win his first title at a Grand Slam championship on Sunday.

“I was quite vocal, but I was always positive,” Raonic said. “I was always looking for a solution.”

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/rao ... 16-friday2

[Lucas]

Milos Raonic: Semi-final Wimbledon 2016

Milos Raonic speaks to the media after his 6-3, 6-7(3), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 win over Roger Federer

Spoiler:

Q. How would you describe the emotions that you felt when you won this match and saw Roger Federer walking off in defeat as you walked off in victory?
MILOS RAONIC: I was very self centered at that point. I wasn't really thinking about Roger. I was very focused on myself, proud of the way I was able to pull through that match.
You know, it quickly also shifted to, Okay, let's get the things in order, let's get myself ready to play the final here.
Q. This is your first victory against Roger in a Grand Slam. What does it mean to you?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, it's definitely a great feeling, from many different aspects. Obviously what happened here two years ago, I was very disappointed with. Today I sort of persevered. I was sort of plugging away. I was struggling through many parts of the match.

He gave me a little opening towards the end of the fourth. I made the most of it. Then I sort of tried to run away with it. I did a lot of things well. The attitude kept me in the match. I think that's what made the biggest difference. I was quite vocal, but I was always positive. I was always looking for a solution.
Q. Talk about what this is going to mean for tennis in Canada. A lot of people will be watching on Sunday. What do you say to them and players back home?
MILOS RAONIC: It's a pretty special feeling for myself. But I think it's a pretty special recognition to the state of Canadian tennis. It's not just me. I'm not sure how Denis did today, but I know he saved himself in the second set. Before I went on court, I was watching that match.
There's many people doing well on this stage, the junior stages. There's a lot to look forward to. There's a lot of prospect. There's a lot of hope. There's a lot of positive future in Canadian tennis.
It's great to sort of be at the center and front of that come Sunday. I'm glad that I've sort of been leading this charge, the first one to break through and really put these things together.
But I'm by no means done.
Q. How do you describe why or explain why you won compared to the match of two years ago? What's the different Milos Raonic today compared to two years ago?
MILOS RAONIC: Two years ago I bottled up all the difficulties I had on court and never got it out. Today I found a way to keep plugging away, keep myself in the match, then sort of turn it around. I was quite more vocal and a lot more positive on court.
Q. Can you go back to the fourth set. You looked really in trouble in this set. How did it turn? Was there a point where you felt it was going to get better on your serve or your return?
MILOS RAONIC: That game, I believe he had 40 Love at 5 6, or at least 40 15. Even earlier in that game, I hit a few good returns, especially on second serves, which I was struggling with. Then he sort of gifted me two points, gave me a look. Then I kept sort of plugging away. I didn't take the first chance or the second, I believe I took the third. I sort of just kept trying to do the right things for me.
A few of the times I was missing, but at least I was hitting the ball with a little bit more purpose at that point. I think it just sort of put the pressure on him and let me sort of get a little bit of the antsiness out. Then I was able to play well from there on out.
Q. How much of the myth of Roger Federer is on the other side of the net and not just another player you might be playing?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, it's something you got to try to put aside very quickly. He has the most decorated achievements and successes in tennis, more than anybody by a good amount at this point.
You're playing who Roger is today, not who he's been the past few years. So you try to focus in on that and what you need to do, try not to spend too much time and attention thinking about him. Especially for myself, I got to always worry about myself first.
Q. Has John McEnroe been a big help in making you more vocal on court, because he was the world's best at that?
MILOS RAONIC: That's for sure.
I think it's something that we've all been working together at. I think he's definitely put an emphasis on it. A lot of times I felt in matches that I need to sort of calm myself down to let things from getting out of control, I feel like when I get positive. I can get negative quickly as well.
He sort of implemented it in the sense of from how he's seen me play. There's no, Too calm for you, you tend to be too calm, try to get energy out of you, try to get it out of you on court and leave it all out there, try to get the most out of yourself.
Q. Has he made you a bit angry?
MILOS RAONIC: I haven't been angry. I've been quite positive. I think it's more of a positive attitude. Keep plugging away, things will figure itself out.
Q. What was it like having your parents looking on today, and the role they played from first introducing you to the sport to where you are today?
MILOS RAONIC: They've been the most significant role. I think the thing I'm most grateful about is they've always, since day one, is they've told me they don't know anything about tennis. They've put me in the hands of people from a young age that they believed could help me and sort of stayed away from it.
They have always driven me to tennis, they've picked me up from practice, all these kind of things. They tried to be the best they can. But even to this day, they have not given me a piece of advice when it comes to my game.
Q. They never played themselves?
MILOS RAONIC: No. I can probably maybe remember one weekend where they played on the local courts that I watched. Other than that, I doubt it.
Q. What's your earliest memory you have of tennis?
MILOS RAONIC: I know I was signed up for sort of a March break spring bake camp [sic] when I was eight years old. I really don't remember that. I remember sort of the bubble the first time.
My earliest memories was when I tried out for this coach, Casey, in Toronto. I wasn't good enough to be in the program then. I was just short of nine years old. Me and my father started on the ball machine every morning at 6 in the morning and 9 at night, because that's when court fees were affordable enough for us. That's when they gave us a deal.
I remember that ball machine pretty well.
Q. Your dad just fed the machine?
MILOS RAONIC: I wouldn't stop for two hours. I wouldn't take any steps. I was very lazy. I would hit tennis balls from the standing position for two hours. He would walk around and keep filling up the machine so I wouldn't have to stop.
Q. Did it make any difference that McEnroe was in the commentary box? Does it matter to you that he's doing something else?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, it doesn't really make a difference by any means. I understood that when we started. That was one of the things that was really beneficial for the way we've gone about things.
I remember when I played Jack in the third round, he messaged me and said, Hey, they want me to call your match. Do you mind? If you need, I'll sort of request to call another match.
I said, I don't mind at all. Hopefully I will have to face the situation where you can't call any other match.
He's been a positive influence. I've dealt with that. That's the way it is. It's the terms we came to. From the beginning, we had a clear understanding.
Q. It looks like Andy might be on course for a fairly straightforward victory. Is there any concern in your mind having played a physical and emotional five setter you will be able to recover and Andy might have a bit of an advantage maybe?
MILOS RAONIC: No. Anyways, playing five sets, my matches tend to be quite quick. For me it's really about just keeping an internal focus on getting things done. I feel pretty good after. I know I'll feel much better in 48 hours or however long I have.
I think you disregard that very quickly. It's a slam final. A lot of adrenaline, all this kind of stuff takes over and you keep fighting through.
Q. How big a breakthrough moment is this for your career, to reach a slam final, trying to break into that top group of players?
MILOS RAONIC: Hopefully I make it count even more. I have a great opportunity on Sunday. That's what I'm definitely going to be looking forward to it.
There was a significant point for me coming back from two sets to love in the fourth round. Both Carlos and John took me aside and said, This can change your career at this point.
So hopefully it continues that way.
Q. When Roger stumbled there and fell, it looked like he might have actually hurt himself. You're standing at the net. What is going through your mind? Were you concerned he might have to withdraw at that point?
MILOS RAONIC: No. I was actually thinking, Where do I think the guy is going to serve the first serve? I was pretty quickly on the other side. Obviously, make sure he's okay. For that moment that I did stop, grab a drink, I was thinking, Which serve do I cover?
Q. You've gotten questions about McEnroe here, Paris even when you announced it. Just wondering if this at all bothers you that this guy has been on your team for a couple of weeks and might get credit for you winning Wimbledon, if that happens?
MILOS RAONIC: At the end of the day, I get to win Wimbledon. Who cares?
Q. In terms of the tactical approach you had today, you came to the net quite a lot, but maybe not as much as people expected. How was the balance for you?
MILOS RAONIC: I got down on myself because I wasn't coming forward enough. He was doing a great job, especially when I was serving hard into the body. He was hitting some solid, deep returns, not with much on it. It's hard from that point with one hand to hit it back.
I hesitated a few times. I think only later I really started letting go and moving forward like I should have. Definitely something that I will incorporate more further on.
Q. I know Carlos is a former No. 1 player, Grand Slam winner, mentally very tough. He said after your match today he was very I am previous and printout that at the end of the fourth set you were very strong mentally. In this aspect, which influence has he had on your game, the mental part?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, he's been a great influence. He's helped me a lot with understanding how I need to go about things, what I need to get out of myself, whether that be through trial and error or through discussion.
Obviously that's been my biggest asset through this tournament and through the Queen's tournament, especially after I finished off in Paris a bit disappointed. It's been a great asset for me. It's what's helped me be as successful as I have over the last few weeks. It's definitely the biggest step forward I've made.
Q. You've certainly played Andy a number of times. You are familiar with each other's games. What is the biggest challenge of facing him, and facing him here in the Wimbledon final?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, obviously it's a challenge either way. He does a lot of things well. I think the biggest challenge for me, which I felt was the thing I want to happen the least, or repeat itself the least from Queen's, is I got sucked into his game. I didn't play on my terms.
That's going to be the most important thing for me.
Q. Take a minute and talk about how you worked on your career, aside from the coaching, but what other things have you worked on in terms of mental toughness?
MILOS RAONIC: I've tried to improve every single aspect from the way I eat, to the way I prepare before practices, before matches, in the off season, physically, mentally. I've engaged a lot of people when it's come to this. I travel with a pretty good sized group. Sometimes too many people where it can get tiring.
We did come here cutting it down quite a bit. But I have a lot of people that have a lot of input and sort of feedback for what I can do better at every single stage.
I've spared no expense in trying to really get the most out of myself.
Q. Diet wise, what is your approach now?
MILOS RAONIC: I just watch what I eat. I'm a lot more aware of what certain foods do for you, which foods are going to cause inflammation, which foods are going to be good for you, when you should eat, how you should eat, quantities, all these kind of things. I don't think I'm at the peak stage, but I've been optimally getting better and better.
Q. A lot of credit has been given to John McEnroe for supporting you, coaching you. But Ricardo Piatti has been for a longer time with you. Before Federer said that you didn't play much different against him as you played in Brisbane. You were already playing the way you played today. What is your feeling about it? What does Piatti bring? What does McEnroe bring that Piatti doesn't?
MILOS RAONIC: I think Ricardo has been phenomenal for me in giving me a foundation. From the foundation point, since I started working with him, has helped me improve significantly, technically, all these kind of things.
When you look at the three guys that I have around me when it comes to tennis strictly, Ricardo is the only coach from day one. Carlos is a former player. John is a former player that also does many other things. Ricardo adjusted to me from the beginning. I think that's the thing, because he's dealt with so many players, he knows how to adjust. With other guys, it's going to be how things are going to mesh and so forth.
Ricardo has given me a lot of base, foundation. He's the one I spend most weeks with probably when I'm away from tournaments because he's the guy that's completely okay with being on the court for six hours. He can do that for seven days a week just because that's what he's grown up loving to do.
Q. You mentioned that you struggled quite a bit before you were able to turn things around late in the fourth. Were there any elements of your performance that you weren't pleased with today?
MILOS RAONIC: I think I was a little bit too stubborn on the return. I was missing too many second serve returns. I was struggling finding the balance on being aggressive enough and getting enough second serve returns in. I made a lot of mistakes, especially off the forehand side.
That sort of changed after. I sort of gave myself a bit more time, started leaning into the ball a bit more, sort of letting it go. It took a few trial and errors, then I started feeling and becoming more and more comfortable with it.
Q. In Australia you were playing really good against Andy, then some unfortunate injury happened and maybe slowed you down. Could you recall a little bit about that match, maybe the disappointment of that match.
MILOS RAONIC: Well, the disappointment I've sort of put behind me. At least I've tried to. But I feel like I was playing some great tennis back then. I feel like I'm playing better tennis now.
I just want to keep sort of moving forward. I have a challenge ahead of me in two days. I think what happened then, obviously I'll look back, try to understand what I did well, what didn't go so well for me, and try to move forward.
Q. When you say you want to play Andy on your terms, do you mean in the way you play, the way you are on court?
MILOS RAONIC: I'm up there 7 6, and I have a point for 4 1, I believe, in a game I end up getting broken by a close miss. I wasn't disappointed with that point. That can happen. I was disappointed with how I dealt with things after that. I sort of went into my shell, didn't put myself out there enough. I think that's the thing I want to avoid the most.
Q. Will you watch that match again?
MILOS RAONIC: We've discussed it quite a bit. I don't know if I'd watch it again. But definitely recall some things. I can remember that match pretty well.
Q. When you said at Queen's that you hoped for a rematch in a few weeks, to what extent did you actually think at that point it was realistic you would get through to the final here?
MILOS RAONIC: I think I believed it more than I believed it probably at any other stage of entering a tournament.
Q. You really thought it would happen?
MILOS RAONIC: I felt I was doing a lot of things well. I was putting the pieces together. I was just hoping they would make some good music for me at that point. It's come together nicely. There's obviously been bumps throughout this week. I've overcome a lot of different things. Those things have made me stronger.
Now I have an even bigger tool set to sort of face that challenge on Sunday than I did a few Sundays ago.
Q. When you think of Andy Murray's career and style of play, what strikes you most about each?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, Andy is one of the premier workaholics, let's say. He's given himself a lot of opportunity through that. I think Andy, he tries to sort of get you doing a lot of different things. He'll try to throw you off, give you some slower balls, some harder balls, all these kinds of things. I guess my goal is to keep him away from that, play it on my terms, be aggressive, not hesitate.
Q. The crowd was on Roger's side today. If you face Andy on Sunday, they'll be very much on Andy's side. Are you happy to play the role of the villain?
MILOS RAONIC: I don't know if it's necessarily the villain. You face what you have to face. First and foremost, I got to face myself, then I got to face Andy. The rest, if I don't have control over, I try to make it as irrelevant to me as possible.

http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/art ... l2016.html

[Damian]

Finał Wimbledonu 2016.


indianexpress.com

25-letni Kanadyjczyk zadebiutował w wielkoszlemowym finale. Przegrał w 3 setach mecz o tytuł w Wimbledonie, a lepszym okazał się Andy Murray.

Raonic ma na koncie 19. zawodowych finałów (8-11).

Milos Raonic (CAN) - przegrane finały (11):
2016 (3) Wimbledon, London/Queen's Club, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells
2015 (1) Brisbane
2014 (2) ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Paryż, Tokio
2013 (2) Tokio, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Kanada
2012 (2) Tokio, Memphis
2011 (1) Memphis

[Damian]

[Lucas]

Milos Raonic: Final Wimbledon 2016

Milos Raonic talks to the media after the 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) defeat by Andy Murray

Spoiler:

Q. It's hard to ask this question, but obviously when you lose, any regrets?
MILOS RAONIC: No, I wouldn't say there's any as far as this moment.
Q. Tactically, the way the match went and stuff...
MILOS RAONIC: I think I did the best I could. I tried to put the things together. I tried coming forward, putting pressure on him. He was playing much better than me off the baseline. He was more effective there.
Probably a little too passive to start the match on his service games. But then I tried to turn that around, give myself two looks, but didn't make the most of it.
I tried to put together what I could, fought. It just didn't work out.
Q. Was it overwhelming to play your first Grand Slam final?
MILOS RAONIC: No, I don't really think so. I think it was more, you know, you know you're not going to play your best tennis by any means. You sort of have to dig it out. That's pretty much the thing you're fighting against the most, trying to find the level that's good enough.
I was keeping up with him. Bu then when it counted, I wasn't able to get on top.
Q. I imagine it will be record television viewers in Canada watching your match. What would you say to the people who were cheering you on and who will be disappointed in the outcome today?
MILOS RAONIC: A big thank you. It's not just the support here, it's the support through numerous weeks wherever I go to play tennis.
The appreciation for tennis in Canada has considerably grown, just for Canadians in general all over the world. There's always a big contingency, a big showing up. It's a great honor to have that kind of support.
You know, what happened today happened. The only thing I could ever regret is if I didn't do everything I can to make myself return to this position again.
Q. Did nerves come into play at all or was it just a better player on the other side of the net?
MILOS RAONIC: No, nerves are part of it, but my nerves are no different than his.
Q. What do you take from these two weeks here, good, bad, indifferent? What do you think you need to work on to get to the next level?
MILOS RAONIC: I'm going to work on everything. I'm not going to leave any stone unturned. I'm going to try to get myself back in this position, try to be better in this position.
I'm going to try to get fitter, stronger. I'm going to try to improve my return game, improve my serve. I can improve there. Improve my efficiency coming forward. There's not one thing that I'm not going to try to improve.
Obviously now we have to focus on what the most important thing is to put as much attention as I can because I can't focus on everything the whole time. We'll discuss that as a team and we'll try to take it from there.
Q. What do you take out of these two weeks?
MILOS RAONIC: Phenomenal. I stepped up in a semifinal that twice I struggled in in the past. I stepped up. I did a great thing there. Came back from two sets to love down, which is a first time for me.
I showed guts. I showed vigor. I got to carry that through to the next events.
Q. Anything you particularly learned from this experience you can use next time you are playing in the final of a Grand Slam?
MILOS RAONIC: I haven't learned it yet, but I'm going to try to make sure I learn everything I can.
Q. You played Roger and Andy. Is there a sense from you that tennis is moving on now, that the next generation is stepping up? Do you feel you're kind of a figure that can break that traditional four, lead the charge?
MILOS RAONIC: There are guys that are always sort of trying to push those barriers down that these guys try to set up. Everybody wants to win. The guy across the net from you wants to take what you're trying to get.
It's not a group thing. It's an individual thing, one on one. Everybody is trying to improve, whether they be the really young guys around 19, 20, 21 that are doing really well now. Then you have also the guys that are 24, 25, 26, all the way up to 28, that are trying to get their name there.
Yeah, you can group them, you can put people in groups, but nobody's really helping each other. It's a very individual sport. Everybody's doing it on their own.
Q. What is your plan now?
MILOS RAONIC: I got to prepare for the Rogers Cup in Toronto.
Q. What aspect of his game was the most troublesome for you today?
MILOS RAONIC: I thought that he was doing a very good thing of being aggressive when he had the chance. Sometimes Andy will let you in the match, you know, sort of because he can do so many different things.
Every single time he had forehands in the middle of the court, he was really trying to hit them, not giving me two looks at a point. I think that's what he did really well.
Q. He was so extraordinary on returning and retrieving. What do you think he was doing that was blunting your strengths?
MILOS RAONIC: He moves incredibly well. He returns well. Those are his two biggest strengths. He's been playing well. Those things are going to be what I got to face off against.
I took care of my serve as much as I could. I needed to find a way to be more efficient maybe on returning.
But every single time you play him, you know he's going to get more returns back than anybody else, alongside with Novak. That's what these two guys, especially, do. You try to find a way around that.
Q. Every kid dreams of being in a Wimbledon final. Was there ever a pinch me moment that you were actually playing in the Wimbledon final?
MILOS RAONIC: Not really. I don't think the moment ever really caught on. I think I just maybe in a mundane way sort of looked at it as just another match. This match felt like a much greater opportunity than anything, but it never felt that much different than anything.
Q. Obviously you're disappointed with today's result, but what do you think this means for Andy? What do you think is next for him?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, I think it's phenomenal for him to back up his win from three years ago. He's been in many finals since then that he wasn't able to make the most of.
For him, it's a big step forward. What's next for him is up to him. He's got to go for it. There's many other guys that are going to be trying to go for it, as well. I know I will.
It's hard to really know what he's going to make of this.
Q. Where does your coaching relationship with John McEnroe go from here moving forward? Have you spoken with your parents after the match?
MILOS RAONIC: I haven't spoken with anybody since the match. I came here to speak with you guys as therapy (smiling).
Q. As far as McEnroe?
MILOS RAONIC: We haven't spoke about anything, but I'm sure we're going to have that discussion over the next 24 hours.
Q. Would you like to keep him on?
MILOS RAONIC: I think we'll probably try to find an extent that it can work, he can help me, and try to make the most of it.
Q. You said Friday night the biggest challenge for you in this was you didn't want to get sucked into Andy's game. You felt that happened the last time you met. How did that play into today? Do you feel like you accomplished not doing that?
MILOS RAONIC: No, I think I did a better job than I did last time. I think he did a better job from the start of the match, like, making me play a lot, which he didn't do as well the last time we played. But at the same time I think I sort of fended off.
I remember that match. I was up 3 Love in the second. If you look at it from there on out, I lost 6 1, 6 3.
It was very different terms than it was today.
Q. Is there a difference playing Andy in a Grand Slam semifinal and playing him in a Grand Slam final?
MILOS RAONIC: I don't think so. I think, other than the fact that when things aren't going your way, you have a bit more time to figure it out. Everybody's fighting.
There's a difference when you play a guy early in the tournament, when they haven't really maybe found their game or their feel on those courts yet. By the time you get to the final, everybody's playing their best tennis.
Q. How does Andy's performance compare to anyone else you've played?
MILOS RAONIC: I think he's been playing really well. I think from what I saw of his matches, he had a pretty good opportunity to maybe win this tournament without losing a set. He was up two sets to love against Jo. Jo made a strong fight back. Then Andy had to turn it around in a very strong way in the fifth set.
He's been playing great. Guys haven't really been able to give him a true big scare. You know, he definitely deserved and earned to win this tournament.
Q. Both tiebreaks got away from you quite quickly. Anything you could have done to prevent that?
MILOS RAONIC: I think he played really well that second tiebreak. But the first tiebreak, obviously I missed that ball, the short ball, on the first one. Wasn't even close. Missed into the middle of the net. Then I had an overhead that I didn't make the most of on my serve. I'll sort of look back at that with not too much joy.
Q. You had had a big game against Roger Federer in the semifinal, then you came back from two sets down in the previous match as well. How much did that take out of you emotionally? Did you have enough physically and emotionally coming into the final?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I did. Obviously it's a little harder to get it out of yourself. But you're in the final. After you finish this match today, you can rest as many days as you want, as many days as you see fit.
You disregard any kind of fatigue or strain you've gone through the last few matches or last couple days. You put that aside. Adrenaline takes over and you try to make the most of it. You disregard that as much as you can.
Q. It seems that you're trying to find solutions out there. The first real opportunity you had was at 2 2 in the third set, 15 40. How did you feel at that moment? If you had broken, it could have been different.
MILOS RAONIC: Obviously it does come down a lot of the time to a few important points. That was probably the most clear look I had. I had a sense that, you know, if I could have gotten ahead there, maybe I could have turned it around a bit.
Obviously Andy was going to do everything he could to not let me do that. That was my biggest, let's say, opener.
Q. You said earlier you almost thought of it as a mundane match. You look at Andy playing in front of his home crowd. In a strange way, is it almost like it meant more to him?
MILOS RAONIC: Maybe through the media side. Trust me, nobody wanted to win that match more than me. Maybe equal.
Q. It was obviously a home crowd. Even the prime minister was there cheering him on. How difficult is it to play at Wimbledon when literally nearly everyone in the crowd is willing him on? Do you envy him as one of the few players that's able to play with that support here?
MILOS RAONIC: No, I don't think it's really that difficult. I'm sure they support Roger equally as they do to Andy. There's these things you face. These are guys that have put themselves in this situation many times.
Especially for Andy being a home crowd, they want him to win. Everyone wants Roger to win, as well, one player more than anybody around the world. You try to disregard that.
Obviously he tries to make the most of it in his benefit and he tried to use that as much as he can. My job there is to focus on myself, focus on Andy. Everything outside of the lines, try to make it as unnoticeable to myself as possible.
Q. Andy had impressive passing shots at critical moments. Do you think that was one of his strengths or do you think it was pressure on you when you came to the net?
MILOS RAONIC: No, I saved myself a lot of the time at the net, as well. It was probably the thing I would take the most positive from. I don't know what the numbers are. I haven't had a chance to look at anything. But I think I was pretty good at coming in.
Yeah, he's going to pass you. He moves well. He gets himself in good position. He has good hands. He has good touch. He's going to pass you.
I tried to put myself up there and sort of tried to dare him to do it.
Q. He moves around a lot when you're serving. Were you trying to find him with the body serve? He seemed to avoid it pretty well. Can you comment on his service return in general. Pretty strong.
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, he is one of the two best returners in the game. I don't know if he was moving anywhere other than forward. He's one of those guys that takes a big step going in to return. I don't know if he was moving anywhere else. I didn't notice anything outside of that.
Using the body serve or using angle serves, it's about keeping the guy honest. The body serve, I can hit it many different ways. I can hit it 120, sometimes I can hit it 140. It's about giving him more things to have to process and think about rather than less, rather than just two options: a T serve and a wide serve.
I definitely did incorporate it.
Q. Denis won the junior boys title. How well do you know him? Your thoughts on his performance?
MILOS RAONIC: I know him a little bit. I know him. I know his coach that he works with, Adriano, as well. We practiced two years ago, I believe, quite a bit leading up to Rogers Cup because he's one of the few top kids that's actually based in Toronto that's not in the national program in Montréal.
I've hit with him a few times. It's good to see him doing well. He had a big comeback, I believe, yesterday in his semifinal to turn around the top seed serving for the match. He's had a phenomenal few weeks. He won the upcoming tournament.
He's doing really well. He's coming into his own. It's not just here. He's won a few futures this year as well. I've been following him and he's constantly improving.
Q. In your career, will, determination and intent, step by step progress is your brand, your approach. Reaching the final is an incredible accomplishment. What is your self talk to yourself about your ability to win a slam? What do you say to yourself and take away from this fortnight?
MILOS RAONIC: I believe I definitely have that ability within myself. There's not a shadow of a doubt from myself. The question is, am I going to make the most of it when those opportunities arise.
Nobody's going to give me those opportunities. I'm going to work extensively and really hard to give myself those opportunities.
There's other guys that want it. I'm going to try to find every solution to every issue I may have, things I need to improve, things I need to get better on on a day to day basis to give myself that opportunity.
That's what keeps me the most motivated. I think when that sort of disappears, that constant day to day progress, I think the beauty of tennis will change to me.
Q. How many Wimbledons do you predict Andy can win?
MILOS RAONIC: Depends how many times he gives himself that opportunity. You know, a lot of it depends on Andy. But there's a lot of things that depend on a lot of other guys, too.
I'm sure he'll have opportunities again. Will he make the most of those opportunities? Only time will tell.

http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/art ... final.html

[Lucas]

Milos Raonic: Final Wimbledon 2016

Milos Raonic talks to the media after the 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) defeat by Andy Murray

Spoiler:

Q. It's hard to ask this question, but obviously when you lose, any regrets?
MILOS RAONIC: No, I wouldn't say there's any as far as this moment.
Q. Tactically, the way the match went and stuff...
MILOS RAONIC: I think I did the best I could. I tried to put the things together. I tried coming forward, putting pressure on him. He was playing much better than me off the baseline. He was more effective there.
Probably a little too passive to start the match on his service games. But then I tried to turn that around, give myself two looks, but didn't make the most of it.
I tried to put together what I could, fought. It just didn't work out.
Q. Was it overwhelming to play your first Grand Slam final?
MILOS RAONIC: No, I don't really think so. I think it was more, you know, you know you're not going to play your best tennis by any means. You sort of have to dig it out. That's pretty much the thing you're fighting against the most, trying to find the level that's good enough.
I was keeping up with him. Bu then when it counted, I wasn't able to get on top.
Q. I imagine it will be record television viewers in Canada watching your match. What would you say to the people who were cheering you on and who will be disappointed in the outcome today?
MILOS RAONIC: A big thank you. It's not just the support here, it's the support through numerous weeks wherever I go to play tennis.
The appreciation for tennis in Canada has considerably grown, just for Canadians in general all over the world. There's always a big contingency, a big showing up. It's a great honor to have that kind of support.
You know, what happened today happened. The only thing I could ever regret is if I didn't do everything I can to make myself return to this position again.
Q. Did nerves come into play at all or was it just a better player on the other side of the net?
MILOS RAONIC: No, nerves are part of it, but my nerves are no different than his.
Q. What do you take from these two weeks here, good, bad, indifferent? What do you think you need to work on to get to the next level?
MILOS RAONIC: I'm going to work on everything. I'm not going to leave any stone unturned. I'm going to try to get myself back in this position, try to be better in this position.
I'm going to try to get fitter, stronger. I'm going to try to improve my return game, improve my serve. I can improve there. Improve my efficiency coming forward. There's not one thing that I'm not going to try to improve.
Obviously now we have to focus on what the most important thing is to put as much attention as I can because I can't focus on everything the whole time. We'll discuss that as a team and we'll try to take it from there.
Q. What do you take out of these two weeks?
MILOS RAONIC: Phenomenal. I stepped up in a semifinal that twice I struggled in in the past. I stepped up. I did a great thing there. Came back from two sets to love down, which is a first time for me.
I showed guts. I showed vigor. I got to carry that through to the next events.
Q. Anything you particularly learned from this experience you can use next time you are playing in the final of a Grand Slam?
MILOS RAONIC: I haven't learned it yet, but I'm going to try to make sure I learn everything I can.
Q. You played Roger and Andy. Is there a sense from you that tennis is moving on now, that the next generation is stepping up? Do you feel you're kind of a figure that can break that traditional four, lead the charge?
MILOS RAONIC: There are guys that are always sort of trying to push those barriers down that these guys try to set up. Everybody wants to win. The guy across the net from you wants to take what you're trying to get.
It's not a group thing. It's an individual thing, one on one. Everybody is trying to improve, whether they be the really young guys around 19, 20, 21 that are doing really well now. Then you have also the guys that are 24, 25, 26, all the way up to 28, that are trying to get their name there.
Yeah, you can group them, you can put people in groups, but nobody's really helping each other. It's a very individual sport. Everybody's doing it on their own.
Q. What is your plan now?
MILOS RAONIC: I got to prepare for the Rogers Cup in Toronto.
Q. What aspect of his game was the most troublesome for you today?
MILOS RAONIC: I thought that he was doing a very good thing of being aggressive when he had the chance. Sometimes Andy will let you in the match, you know, sort of because he can do so many different things.
Every single time he had forehands in the middle of the court, he was really trying to hit them, not giving me two looks at a point. I think that's what he did really well.
Q. He was so extraordinary on returning and retrieving. What do you think he was doing that was blunting your strengths?
MILOS RAONIC: He moves incredibly well. He returns well. Those are his two biggest strengths. He's been playing well. Those things are going to be what I got to face off against.
I took care of my serve as much as I could. I needed to find a way to be more efficient maybe on returning.
But every single time you play him, you know he's going to get more returns back than anybody else, alongside with Novak. That's what these two guys, especially, do. You try to find a way around that.
Q. Every kid dreams of being in a Wimbledon final. Was there ever a pinch me moment that you were actually playing in the Wimbledon final?
MILOS RAONIC: Not really. I don't think the moment ever really caught on. I think I just maybe in a mundane way sort of looked at it as just another match. This match felt like a much greater opportunity than anything, but it never felt that much different than anything.
Q. Obviously you're disappointed with today's result, but what do you think this means for Andy? What do you think is next for him?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, I think it's phenomenal for him to back up his win from three years ago. He's been in many finals since then that he wasn't able to make the most of.
For him, it's a big step forward. What's next for him is up to him. He's got to go for it. There's many other guys that are going to be trying to go for it, as well. I know I will.
It's hard to really know what he's going to make of this.
Q. Where does your coaching relationship with John McEnroe go from here moving forward? Have you spoken with your parents after the match?
MILOS RAONIC: I haven't spoken with anybody since the match. I came here to speak with you guys as therapy (smiling).
Q. As far as McEnroe?
MILOS RAONIC: We haven't spoke about anything, but I'm sure we're going to have that discussion over the next 24 hours.
Q. Would you like to keep him on?
MILOS RAONIC: I think we'll probably try to find an extent that it can work, he can help me, and try to make the most of it.
Q. You said Friday night the biggest challenge for you in this was you didn't want to get sucked into Andy's game. You felt that happened the last time you met. How did that play into today? Do you feel like you accomplished not doing that?
MILOS RAONIC: No, I think I did a better job than I did last time. I think he did a better job from the start of the match, like, making me play a lot, which he didn't do as well the last time we played. But at the same time I think I sort of fended off.
I remember that match. I was up 3 Love in the second. If you look at it from there on out, I lost 6 1, 6 3.
It was very different terms than it was today.
Q. Is there a difference playing Andy in a Grand Slam semifinal and playing him in a Grand Slam final?
MILOS RAONIC: I don't think so. I think, other than the fact that when things aren't going your way, you have a bit more time to figure it out. Everybody's fighting.
There's a difference when you play a guy early in the tournament, when they haven't really maybe found their game or their feel on those courts yet. By the time you get to the final, everybody's playing their best tennis.
Q. How does Andy's performance compare to anyone else you've played?
MILOS RAONIC: I think he's been playing really well. I think from what I saw of his matches, he had a pretty good opportunity to maybe win this tournament without losing a set. He was up two sets to love against Jo. Jo made a strong fight back. Then Andy had to turn it around in a very strong way in the fifth set.
He's been playing great. Guys haven't really been able to give him a true big scare. You know, he definitely deserved and earned to win this tournament.
Q. Both tiebreaks got away from you quite quickly. Anything you could have done to prevent that?
MILOS RAONIC: I think he played really well that second tiebreak. But the first tiebreak, obviously I missed that ball, the short ball, on the first one. Wasn't even close. Missed into the middle of the net. Then I had an overhead that I didn't make the most of on my serve. I'll sort of look back at that with not too much joy.
Q. You had had a big game against Roger Federer in the semifinal, then you came back from two sets down in the previous match as well. How much did that take out of you emotionally? Did you have enough physically and emotionally coming into the final?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I did. Obviously it's a little harder to get it out of yourself. But you're in the final. After you finish this match today, you can rest as many days as you want, as many days as you see fit.
You disregard any kind of fatigue or strain you've gone through the last few matches or last couple days. You put that aside. Adrenaline takes over and you try to make the most of it. You disregard that as much as you can.
Q. It seems that you're trying to find solutions out there. The first real opportunity you had was at 2 2 in the third set, 15 40. How did you feel at that moment? If you had broken, it could have been different.
MILOS RAONIC: Obviously it does come down a lot of the time to a few important points. That was probably the most clear look I had. I had a sense that, you know, if I could have gotten ahead there, maybe I could have turned it around a bit.
Obviously Andy was going to do everything he could to not let me do that. That was my biggest, let's say, opener.
Q. You said earlier you almost thought of it as a mundane match. You look at Andy playing in front of his home crowd. In a strange way, is it almost like it meant more to him?
MILOS RAONIC: Maybe through the media side. Trust me, nobody wanted to win that match more than me. Maybe equal.
Q. It was obviously a home crowd. Even the prime minister was there cheering him on. How difficult is it to play at Wimbledon when literally nearly everyone in the crowd is willing him on? Do you envy him as one of the few players that's able to play with that support here?
MILOS RAONIC: No, I don't think it's really that difficult. I'm sure they support Roger equally as they do to Andy. There's these things you face. These are guys that have put themselves in this situation many times.
Especially for Andy being a home crowd, they want him to win. Everyone wants Roger to win, as well, one player more than anybody around the world. You try to disregard that.
Obviously he tries to make the most of it in his benefit and he tried to use that as much as he can. My job there is to focus on myself, focus on Andy. Everything outside of the lines, try to make it as unnoticeable to myself as possible.
Q. Andy had impressive passing shots at critical moments. Do you think that was one of his strengths or do you think it was pressure on you when you came to the net?
MILOS RAONIC: No, I saved myself a lot of the time at the net, as well. It was probably the thing I would take the most positive from. I don't know what the numbers are. I haven't had a chance to look at anything. But I think I was pretty good at coming in.
Yeah, he's going to pass you. He moves well. He gets himself in good position. He has good hands. He has good touch. He's going to pass you.
I tried to put myself up there and sort of tried to dare him to do it.
Q. He moves around a lot when you're serving. Were you trying to find him with the body serve? He seemed to avoid it pretty well. Can you comment on his service return in general. Pretty strong.
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, he is one of the two best returners in the game. I don't know if he was moving anywhere other than forward. He's one of those guys that takes a big step going in to return. I don't know if he was moving anywhere else. I didn't notice anything outside of that.
Using the body serve or using angle serves, it's about keeping the guy honest. The body serve, I can hit it many different ways. I can hit it 120, sometimes I can hit it 140. It's about giving him more things to have to process and think about rather than less, rather than just two options: a T serve and a wide serve.
I definitely did incorporate it.
Q. Denis won the junior boys title. How well do you know him? Your thoughts on his performance?
MILOS RAONIC: I know him a little bit. I know him. I know his coach that he works with, Adriano, as well. We practiced two years ago, I believe, quite a bit leading up to Rogers Cup because he's one of the few top kids that's actually based in Toronto that's not in the national program in Montréal.
I've hit with him a few times. It's good to see him doing well. He had a big comeback, I believe, yesterday in his semifinal to turn around the top seed serving for the match. He's had a phenomenal few weeks. He won the upcoming tournament.
He's doing really well. He's coming into his own. It's not just here. He's won a few futures this year as well. I've been following him and he's constantly improving.
Q. In your career, will, determination and intent, step by step progress is your brand, your approach. Reaching the final is an incredible accomplishment. What is your self talk to yourself about your ability to win a slam? What do you say to yourself and take away from this fortnight?
MILOS RAONIC: I believe I definitely have that ability within myself. There's not a shadow of a doubt from myself. The question is, am I going to make the most of it when those opportunities arise.
Nobody's going to give me those opportunities. I'm going to work extensively and really hard to give myself those opportunities.
There's other guys that want it. I'm going to try to find every solution to every issue I may have, things I need to improve, things I need to get better on on a day to day basis to give myself that opportunity.
That's what keeps me the most motivated. I think when that sort of disappears, that constant day to day progress, I think the beauty of tennis will change to me.
Q. How many Wimbledons do you predict Andy can win?
MILOS RAONIC: Depends how many times he gives himself that opportunity. You know, a lot of it depends on Andy. But there's a lot of things that depend on a lot of other guys, too.
I'm sure he'll have opportunities again. Will he make the most of those opportunities? Only time will tell.

http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/art ... final.html

[Damian]

Canadian Milos Raonic withdraws from Rio Olympics

Spoiler:

Canadian tennis star Milos Raonic won’t be participating in this summer’s Olympic Games.

The resident of Thornhill, Ont., announced on Friday his decision to not participate in the Rio Games amid health concerns.


"It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my withdrawal from participation in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games," he said on his Facebook page. "After much deliberation with my family and coaches, I am making this decision for a variety of health concerns including the uncertainty around the Zika virus.

"This was a difficult, personal choice and I do not wish for it to impact the decision of any other athlete heading to the Games. I would like to thank Tennis Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee for their ongoing support. I am very proud to have competed for Canada at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, and on the world stage at several Davis Cup events. I look forward to cheering on Team Canada this summer."

Raonic, ranked No. 7 in the world, isn’t the first high-profile athlete to withdraw from the Games amid concerns about the Zika virus. Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott were among a host of golfers to decide against competing because of health concerns.

"We fully respect Milos’ decision as we are sure this is not one he made easily," Tennis Canada president and CEO Kelly Murumets said in a statement. "Milos represents Canada proudly week after week around the world and we look forward to future opportunities for him to join Team Canada again on the court."

Tennis Canada said, pending invitation by the International Tennis Federation and Canadian Olympic Committee approval, it will nominate veteran Daniel Nestor of Toronto to replace Raonic in the men’s doubles draw to partner with Vasek Pospisil of Vancouver.

On Sunday, the 25-year-old Raonic lost to Britain’s Andy Murray in straight sets in the men’s Wimbledon final. Raonic defeated Swiss star Roger Federer in a five-set semifinal match to become the first Canadian to reach the men’s final.

In the fourth round, Raonic rallied from a two-set deficit to beat Belgium’s David Goffin and advance to the quarter-finals, where he beat Sam Querrey in four sets.

Raonic’s Wimbledon final appearance was the best-ever singles performance by a male Canadian tennis player at a Grand Slam tournament.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/tennis/canadian ... -olympics/