By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Milos Raonic made his mark as one of this generation's most devastating servers.
The 32-year-old Raonic is reinforcing his reputation as a remarkable returner this week.
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Former world No. 3 Raonic continued his compelling comeback sweeping Taro Daniel 6-4, 6-3 to charge into the Toronto round of 16.
Raonic slammed 15 aces and won 26 of 29 first-serve points and did not face a single break point scoring back-to-back ATP wins for the first time since the 2021 Miami Open and earning successive wins at his home Masters for the first time since 2016.
Afterward, Raonic said his current lofty level of play isn't far off from his best level.
"I don't think it's really that far off," Raonic told the media in Toronto. "I think for me the thing is not showing up, playing well, one, two, like, one match at a time, but tennis is 11 months, week after week. Like, that's kind of the thing for me where it's given me kind of physical issues."
The former Wimbledon finalist believes he still owns the skills to compete with the best, the question is can he stay healthy enough long enought to do it consistently?
"It's never been a question so much of level," Raonic said. "It's more been like, A, can I push myself physically to prepare the way I need to to be able to play well, and, B, when it comes to matches and stuff, can I be able to kind of withstand that load and that physical exertion kind of week in and week out."
Less than 48 hours after Raonic ripped 37 aces stunning Frances Tiafoe 6-7(12), 7-6(4), 6-3 in his opener, he was even more commanding conquering Daniel.
Sidelined for the past two years with a littany of injury, the 545th-ranked Raonic is the fourth lowest-ranked man in history to reach a round of 16 at a Masters 1000 event.
It was a powerful performance that surprised Raonic himself and instills him with hope he can continue to lift his level when he meets American Mackenzie McDonald with a quarterfinal spot on the line.
"To be honest, after playing well in the first round, having not played many matches back to back in a very long time, I really didn't expect to play that well today. I knew it would be difficult," Raonic said. "I know that that's one of the more difficult things is that kind of picking stuff up and carrying it from one day to the next and having that continuity. So I was very aware of that kind of potentially being the case.
"But I thought I did things pretty well, and I think I can play better tomorrow. So hopefully, I can build off that."
Crafting career renaissance in Toronto, Raonic shared he's fueled by another potential homecoming.
Talking with former coach John McEnroe recently, Raonic said he's making a push for McEnroe to pick up for the Team World squad that will defend its Laver Cup championship in Vancouver in September.
"When we speak, we speak about a lot of things. Tennis is probably the last thing we speak about between each other," Raonic said of McEnroe. "We get along on a lot of different topics, as well. And, you know, maybe just put some pressure on him that it wouldn't be something that it would be something I would like maybe to play the Laver Cup in Vancouver. Could be a nice thing."
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