Milos Raonic

From Raonics' Twitter today

Milos Raonic ‏ @milosraonic
Unfortunately I couldn't play today with my hurt ankle, time to rest up and get ready for clay. Thanks for the kind words to my supporters.

Raonic pulls out of the 2012 SE Open Miami after injuring his ankle in practice

From Dareen Cahill's twitter today
Milos Raonic pulls out of the @SEOpen with an ankle injury. Andy Murray through to the 4th round.

Interesting comments by Raonic on the differences between playing Rafa and Roger (I think there'll be one member on here in particular who will enjoy what he has to say).

Q. "You played Nadal twice; you played now Federer. For you, who is the tougher opponent?"

MILOS RAONIC: "I think it's two different things. I think against Nadal, I feel like I just was able to sort of get more into the match. I feel like if Federer plays well he can just blow you out quicker."

"I think Nadal might be tougher to close out just because of how adamant he is and how much he perseveres through things. Against Rafa, I feel like I had it in my hands. I had a few more opportunities in my hands that I didn't execute."

"Against Federer, I feel like [that even] if you did the things right he could take it away from you pretty quickly."

This piece of information could have won us money yesterday....

From Tennis Magazine:

Canada’s Milos Raonic says that a misread MRI on his injured left knee forced him to pull out of his Davis Cup match against France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Sunday and that if it had been read correctly he would have played.

Frank Dancevic subbed in for Canada’s top player and lost to Tsonga to clinch the tie 3-1 for France.

"It was bad luck last week," Raonic said. “After we lost to doubles I went to have an echography [in Vancouver] and I was told I had four millimeter tear in the tendon and it was month long recovery. I was told that if I played on Sunday it could completely snap and I’d be out for eight to 12 months. So it was a no- brainer not to play. So I spoke to my doctor in Spain and I came here because I knew the services were really good at the Stanford Medical Clinic. I did an MRI and I was told it was just misplaced fluid instead of a tear and it was just showing tendonitis and I could play through, it won’t get any worse. It was little a disheartening because I was in the dark and I wish I could have played. If I knew I wasn’t taking a risk, I would have played Tsonga. I was sore, but I knew if I could take a pain killer, I could probably have played through the pain."

Defending champion Milos Raonic is questionable for the SAP Open in San Jose, California, after injuring his knee in the doubles match during Canada’s Davis Cup loss to France in Vancouver. Raonic pulled out of his Sunday reverse singles match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Raonic is scheduled to fly to California on Monday and have his knee examined by doctors at Stanford Hospital. He is scheduled to play his first match on Wednesday night.

"My first priority is figuring out what the problem is, then going to the people I trust and figuring out a solution," Raonic told the press in Canada. "I have soreness when it comes to pushing when I’m in a bend position. I’m not sure what the situation there is…I would have been useless [against Tsonga] I really have no understanding of what I’m dealing with. I still need a lot more information and that’s going to be a big part of the decision (whether to play in San Jose). It will also give me time to consult with my doctor back in Spain."

Tennis Magazine.

Raonic hype continued..
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Raonic ready to serve notice in Melbourne
January 11, 2012

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

On changes in off-season regime

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

On improving mental toughness

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

On winning so early in season

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

On being seeded 23rd in Australian Open

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

On competing with Top 10 players

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

On surpassing last year's Australian Open success

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

On superstitions beyond eating

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

On improving agility

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

On rise up rankings

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

On being beacon for Canadian tennis

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

On game plan for 2012 season

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

the Raonic hype continues:
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Canadian Milos Raonic is leaving nothing to chance at Australian Open

Canadian Milos Raonic has everything ready for the Australian Open.
The No. 23 seed at the first Grand Slam event of the tennis season has worked out all the details, from his training regime right down to where he's going to eat dinner.
Anything to replicate and surpass his success at last year's Aussie Open, when the Thornhill, Ont., native made it to the fourth round.
"I'm not really getting ahead of myself," Raonic said. "I know the things I need to do and I know that I'm just going to keep getting better and better with more matches, so I'm really just going after it as if it's sort of my first time here.
"Obviously, it's fun to play here and I have really good memories and I even have superstitions because of how I did last year."
The 2011 Australian Open served as a coming-out party for the ATP rookie, becoming the first qualifier to advance as far as the fourth round in a Grand Slam event since 1999.
This year, however, Raonic has momentum behind him.
The hard-serving Canadian won the Chennai Open on Jan. 8, his second professional singles title. That victory bumped him up six spots in the ATP world rankings to No. 25 — matching a personal best from last season.
All that builds on Raonic's successful 2011 in which he was named ATP's Newcomer of the Year.
He's leaving nothing to chance though, getting into the same routines as the 2011 Australian Open.
"We stay at the same hotel, we stay all on the same floor together, we stay as a team and where I eat (is the same)," said Raonic. "We have a few things that I picked up last time that we keep up on."
One thing that will change at this year's Aussie Open is the level of competition Raonic will face.
As a qualifier in 2011, he had to earn his way into the tournament. He then beat No. 22 seed Michael Llodra of France and dispatched then-world No. 10 Mikhail Youzhny of Russia to make the fourth round.
It was in the fourth round that he was eliminated by then-world No. 7 David Ferrer, although the young Canadian put on a good showing.
"That's the beauty about tennis, it's anything on that given day and the goal is just to be better than them on that day," said Raonic. "I really just go out there and try to do the things I need to do."
This year, Raonic is seeded and won't have to endure the qualification tournament.
His first round opponent will remain a mystery until the men's single draw on Jan. 13, but it will likely be a qualifier.
Raonic appreciates that his path in the first few rounds will be easier, but he refuses to look past any opponent.
"I don't think about who I'm playing, I think more about what I need to do and what I can do and what my strengths are," said Raonic.
Although a hip injury at Wimbledon on June 22 cut short Raonic's season, he was able to recover and finish out the last few tournaments of the ATP tour.
He was then able to put together a more focused off-season program that built on his tournament experience and developed his game into a more well-rounded attack.
"Last year, I think there was a big, broad, general improvement that was needed in my game so we worked more volume and more basic stuff just to raise the level of my base of my fitness and my tennis," Raonic said. "Whereas this year, we didn't do as much volume off the court, we did more specific stuff, more explosive stuff. More weights.
"I felt I already had the endurance and all that, it was just a matter of getting quicker, getting more agile and faster, especially coming back from the hip surgery."
http://bit.ly/xCXlqe

Raonic withdraws from the AO tune-up:

"Raonic withdrew from the eight-man tournament after the loss, citing an upset stomach"
http://bit.ly/ydXHsZ

Raonic, who pulled out of Metz, isn't having issues with his hip - the problems are elsewhere.

Raonic: "The hip is completely fine. It's more like everything else has taken a toll on me. I’m feeling dizziness, almost like a migraine. I feel uncoordinated."

Raonic is out of the USO.
He'll be back for the Davis Cup against Israel from September 16.

Raonic: “After extensive deliberation with my doctors + team, I have decided to delay my tournament return until after the US Open at DC vs Israel.”