Novak Djokovic Advances at Cincinnati Open after Defeating Raonic in Three sets

Milos Raonic returns serve in quarterfinal action against Novak Djokovic at the Western & Southern Open

Milos Raonic pushed hard against Novak Djokovic forcing the no.10 ranked Serbian to three sets in quarterfinal action Friday at the Western and Southern Open. Despite winning the second set, Raonic couldn’t break the Gram Slam Winner, who won 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

The top-ranked Canadian player has a poor history against Djokovic and has lost in every match they have played. To date, that record stands at nine losses, and for Raonic, he gave the Serb a run for his money.

Commenting on the close back and forth match, Djokovic said,

“In the end, very few points, really, decided winner. Until the last shot I didn’t know whether (I was) going to win it or not. Just very close matches. And I was fighting. I was giving my best. I really liked, you know, the composure, so to say, the focus that I had all the way through.”

Raonic and Djokovic managed to hold serve until playing the seventh match. Djokovic watch in frustration as Raonic broke his serve to move ahead 4-3, and after losing match point, smashed his racket.

Djokovic managed to win the next game breaking Raonic’s serve and repeated that in the game that ultimately decided the set. This game the Serbian a first set advantage, even after a fall on the court that didn’t result in any injuries.

In post-match interviews, Djokovic said the match was a range of emotions that at times can work in his favour, and other times, against. He added,

“I never felt, so to say, embarrassed to say that I’m someone who makes mistakes, and I’m not proud when I break the racquet, especially I know there are kids around and watching, and I’m not proud of it, but sometimes it’s just — it’s too strong, and you let it out.”

 

The second set saw Raonic catching a break early and was able to hold serve to win his first set against the Serbian superstar. However, the celebrating didn’t last long as the third set. The two both had breaks, but it was Djokovic who managed to get the better of Raonic and pulled away earning the eventual win.

Raonic was inconsistent with his serving even though he served twenty-one aces but double-faulted nine times. The pressure seemed to impact Djokovic, who at times seemed winded and lacking energy after fighting on Friday against Grigor Dimitrov, the defending champion of the Western and Southern Open.

However, Djokovic stated that dealing with Raonic’s powerful serve energised him adding,

“To go back on the court again against Raonic, who was serving 140-plus miles from the first game, that got me going for sure from the beginning.”

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Author Heidi is has always been travelling the globe as such she is the perfect writer for world news, she has a keen interest in tennis as she used play at senior level for her college.