By Chris Oddo | Sunday, June 1, 2014
Milos Raonic became the first Canadian Man to reach an Open Era Grand Slam quarterfinal on the red clay in Paris, and he's not surprised about it.
Photo Source: Peter Staples
Canada’s Milos Raonic reached his first career Grand Slam quarterfinal with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Marcel Granollers on Sunday in Paris, becoming the first Canadian man to reach the last eight at a major in the Open Era (since 1968).
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Many find it quite surprising that the hard-serving Raonic has cracked through on the red clay of Roland Garros, long considered to be Kryptonite to the Canadian’s massive serves and first-strike philosophy. But Raonic doesn’t feel at all surprised by his rise on the terre battue.
“Am I surprised? No, I wouldn't say so,” said Raonic. “I feel like I could do well on clay, and so does my team. I think the biggest difference I have made this year is not really making too much of a difference when I have come to the clay.”
Raonic, who used to play a decidedly more defensive clay-court game that often saw him camping out harmlessly way behind the baseline, has made subtle tactical transitions that have made his game more imposing on the dirt under the tutelage of his coach Ivan Ljubicic.
“Just more of an approach, knowing more balls will come back, but trying to stay close, not going too far back, and all these kind of things," he said. "I have tried to sort of keep that, I was doing it on hard courts, and it's been working out well for me.”
Raonic, who will face Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals, can take confidence from the fact that he pushed the Serb to a deciding set on the red clay of Rome just two weeks ago.
“Especially after two weeks ago, to be putting myself in that situation to get to play him again,” Raonic said. “I'm very eager and I'm looking forward to that.”
Though Raonic isn’t looking beyond what is sure to be a monumental challenge in Djokovic, the 23-year-old doesn’t shy away from admitting he sees himself as a future Grand Slam winner.
“Yeah, the belief is there that I can do it,” he said. “I think I can put that level of tennis together. I have to believe I have that within myself.”
Raonic owns an 0-2 career record against the Serb, and he’s won just one of their six sets contested.
The Ontario resident, who is on a career-best five-match winning streak on clay, will hope to see the same sunny, warm conditions that Rafael Nadal prefers when he meets Djokovic on Tuesday, but no matter what the conditions, the No. 8 seed believes he’ll be ready to put his best foot forward.
“I still prefer when it's warm, sunny, and moving quickly obviously,” he said. “But I have learned how to deal with the slower conditions a lot better. I have learned how to sort of take the approach, what I need to do, and where the adjustments I need to make are. Whereas before I would definitely struggle depending on the weather. And I feel like it's something I have just learned how to handle much better through experience.”