Breakthrough player of 2011

[djarvik]

Raonic! I am f@$ng impressed. I'll be dammed if this guy doesn't win a few slams. One of the purest servers to come in the long time, Roddick-like first and second serve percentage, smoooooth like butter!

[Cro Morgan]

Raonic! I am f@$ng impressed. I'll be dammed if this guy doesn't win a few slams. One of the purest servers to come in the long time, Roddick-like first and second serve percentage, smoooooth like butter!

Speaking of...



Q. You were really calm, cool, played a good match.

RAONIC: Happy with how things went today. Again, I was able to take care of my serve, like my last match, and I was able to use my opportunities on his.

Just got a bit tight there towards the end, but pulled it back together the next game and played a good tiebreak. So I'm happy with that.

Q. Have you served better than that very often?

RAONIC: I feel like lately I've been working a lot on my serve. And I think a lot of pressure is taken off my serve because of my second shot, I'm playing well with it, dictating a lot. Because always I was getting a lot of block returns. Maybe I would get tight or not play the first ball after as aggressively and effectively.

Now I'm taking care of that, so that's taking even more pressure off my serve. So this is letting me relax more.

Q. Three wins in qualifying, then two in the main draw. Is this the best form of your career?

RAONIC: As far as playing on a specific day, I wouldn't say so. But as far as in a tournament, this is my biggest result. It's my biggest achievement to date.

But I hope to do more than this. I feel like I can. I feel like I'm playing at a level that I'm still there and I'm there with the top guys.

I look forward to the next match and I look forward to imposing my game.

Q. Has this exceeded your expectations, what's happened so far?

RAONIC: Before I came here, obviously I wasn't thinking this far ahead. But going day into day, seeing how stuff progressed, how I was playing better after the first week of the year, it's not really a surprise.

But before this trip, yeah, it is.

Q. How are you going to keep up the momentum as the stakes rise?

RAONIC: It's really not the stakes I'm too worried about right now. I'm not thinking about that too much. I'm thinking about really working my way up the ladder. Improving my level is a big thing for me, making sure I'm playing the game, making sure I'm playing well week in, week out. I feel like I'm doing that better now than I have ever before.

So I'm happy with my progress. As long as I keep developing in the right way, I feel the results will come. So I'm really not stressing too much about it. But I'm going to go out there and fight for every point.

Q. Having had those three qualifiers and these two matches, get a bit of rhythm, do you feel like you're learning more about yourself, what you can do against those good guys?

RAONIC: I've always known what I can do. It's just been about implying it and using my game, imposing my weapons on my opponents. And obviously it's brought on a new confidence to me, so this comes easier, believing in myself more. This comes with winning matches.

I'm able to do that more effectively right now than I have ever before.

Q. We don't know a lot about you in Australia. You've been compared to Mark Philippoussis. Do you know him at all?

RAONIC: I was a big fan of him. I followed throughout his career, most of his career. He grew up during my idol Sampras, whose matches I would tape and watch all the time, many times, one match. That's a really good comparison to have.

Q. No plans for a reality dating show?

RAONIC: No, not yet. Maybe after tennis (smiling).

Q. What do you feel like this means for Canadian tennis?

RAONIC: That's actually big, because always I want to be able to give back. With the state of Canadian tennis, I feel like there's a lot I can give to that. This is, I'm hoping, going to have a big effect on it.

My presence and my voice will have more of a say, I feel, within the Canadian tennis. I hope to help the sport grow, so this isn't a big deal for us. We want this to be four times a year in each of the Grand Slams, we want to have this consistent level.

Q. How are you feeling physically after five matches? It was quite warm today. Your opponent looked like he was feeling it fairly early on. You're even a bigger guy than he is. How did you feel? How did the heat affect you?

RAONIC: I was very fortunate last year. It's a fortunate situation, not unfortunate, that I got hurt at the end of the year. I tore my pec. But this allowed me to start up the off season on November 15th.

So this gave me six weeks of very tough fitness. It's really paying off here. It's helping out. I'm really feeling no stress, no fatigue in my body. I'm feeling fresh day in and day out. I'm obviously doing the things I have to to recover: taking care of my body, making sure I don't get hurt.

But I feel I did put in the hours this off season that are shining right now in my game and in my fitness, so...

Q. When you compare this match to the last one and maybe the next one, are you more relaxed playing these matches than you were playing that last match in the qualifying?

RAONIC: I wouldn't say it was more the pressure. I just had a different outlook on the match. As soon as I lost my serve at the beginning of the match, I started panicking right away. I wasn't really happy with that.

First week of the year, in Chennai, I lost last round quallies 7 6 in the third, not playing a good match, but also panicking.

But what I've been being told by my coach, It doesn't matter how bad you play, as long as you win, you'll have another chance to get better and another chance.

I won that match on that day, and I've had two chances and I'm playing better and better by the day and I look forward to my next match.

Q. And the 230, how many faster serves than that have you hit?

RAONIC: I didn't know I hit 230. What is it...

Q. 142, I think, roughly.

RAONIC: That's interesting. I'll look where it puts me on the leaderboard.

Q.Stupid question, but how hard do you think you could hit one?

RAONIC: I don't know. I don't think I could hit much harder than that. I do resort to sometimes going for that because I know I have a good shoulder on me. So it is a weapon of mine, so I use it when I can.

I tried not to get too carried away with the numbers, that aspect, because I feel like I can move the ball around the service box quite well.

Q. If it is Youzhny, any thoughts about possibly playing him?

RAONIC: He's going to fight for every point and so am I. We're going to get out there. It's going to be a good match. I'm going to try the same: impose my game, try to dictate play more, try to go for my chances, really not have any regrets after my match.

I know if I do this, everything's going to come together. We'll see what happens.

Q. What is the experience like of sitting in the same chair as Federer and Nadal in the interview room at the Australian Open?

RAONIC: It's something new that comes with everything, with the results, so forth. I hope it's not just a one time experience. I hope many more times.

I try not to get carried away with these quirks and perks. But it's nice to have. It's nice to have this recognition.

But I've put in the hours. I know that I deserve the moments I'm getting right now and the moments I'm fighting for.

[djarvik]

Ernests Gulbis Uncovered.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Medi ... ulbis.aspx

[Cro Morgan]

Raonic! I am f@$ng impressed. I'll be dammed if this guy doesn't win a few slams. One of the purest servers to come in the long time, Roddick-like first and second serve percentage, smoooooth like butter!

For those keeping score at home:

Milos Raonic clubs Mikhail Youzhny, 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.**

**64 winners; 31 aces; broke Youzhny for a sixth time to clinch his first win against a Top 10 player.

Next victim: David Ferrer.

[AUSSIE_FABS]

David ferrer will be perfect test. Because to hit a winner against ferrer will take more effort than any other player he has played. Also ferrer been in good form.

[Q. Reese]

Wow. That is a shocking result. I'll be looking at this guy more often. Interesting young gun!

[djarvik]

Alexandr Dolgopolov. I think this guy is destined for a GS one day and even a #1 spot for a few weeks. He is that good. This year look for him in top 20 with a few small titles and QF in GS or two.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Medi ... polov.aspx
- Mr. Highlight reel. Anything this guy does on the court is so un-orthodox and yet so effective and just "cool".

Cro, where is that fancy Check?

[Cro Morgan]

Looks like we're heading toward a Raonic/Dolgolpolovgobo semifinal.

Still can't believe Soderling lost to a girl.

[AUSSIE_FABS]

Alexandr Dolgopolov. I think this guy is destined for a GS one day and even a #1 spot for a few weeks. He is that good. This year look for him in top 20 with a few small titles and QF in GS or two.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Medi ... polov.aspx
- Mr. Highlight reel. Anything this guy does on the court is so un-orthodox and yet so effective and just "cool".

Cro, where is that fancy Check?

Canceled out by Gulbis predictions.

[Cro Morgan]

Alexandr Dolgopolov. I think this guy is destined for a GS one day and even a #1 spot for a few weeks. He is that good. This year look for him in top 20 with a few small titles and QF in GS or two.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Medi ... polov.aspx
- Mr. Highlight reel. Anything this guy does on the court is so un-orthodox and yet so effective and just "cool".

Cro, where is that fancy Check?

Canceled out by Gulbis predictions.

Yeah, what he said.

[beltic caldy]

Good call Al....hadn't seem him play before....his serve reminds me of Kevin Curran's from many moons ago - his swing is so fast and his footwork so good, he makes it look almost effortless - most cool - if Murray can beat Melzer, and I reckon he will, in straight sets, he'll have a job against Dolgopolov....assuming a few things.....

[djarvik]

Alexandr Dolgopolov. I think this guy is destined for a GS one day and even a #1 spot for a few weeks. He is that good. This year look for him in top 20 with a few small titles and QF in GS or two.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Medi ... polov.aspx
- Mr. Highlight reel. Anything this guy does on the court is so un-orthodox and yet so effective and just "cool".

Cro, where is that fancy Check?

Canceled out by Gulbis predictions.

Yeah, what he said.

don't see how, the year is not over yet.

Thanks Beltic!

[Cro Morgan]

Alexandr Dolgopolov. I think this guy is destined for a GS one day and even a #1 spot for a few weeks. He is that good. This year look for him in top 20 with a few small titles and QF in GS or two.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Medi ... polov.aspx
- Mr. Highlight reel. Anything this guy does on the court is so un-orthodox and yet so effective and just "cool".

Cro, where is that fancy Check?

Canceled out by Gulbis predictions.

Yeah, what he said.

don't see how, the year is not over yet.

Thanks Beltic!

Well then, if the year is not over yet, you can't really take credit for Dolgopolov. I mean, the guy may never win another match.

Score
Cro: 1
Djarvik: 0

[beltic caldy]

Lol!!!! Who knows what the future holds, but seriously Cro!? Could see Dolgopolev in the final....he's phenomenal, no?!

How about Murray tho!!!!?! Looking like straight sets against a pretty dangerous, if ill-tempered and foul-mannered Melzer....have to say, am LOVING Murrays performance!!!

[Cro Morgan]

Looking forward to a Dolgopolov/Murray quarterfinal. Won't be dull, that's for sure.