Britain’s Andy Murray will have to overcome the big serving of Canadian Milos Raonic if he is to win a record fifth Queen’s Club title on Sunday.
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But the Dunblane ace hit back to break Raonic for the first time in the tournament on the way to claiming the second set 6-4.
McEnroe has jumped on board with the powerful but sometimes wooden Raonic, and already seems to have the 25-year-old moving more fluently.
The two coaches were not the only throwback to the old days.
The first set was a lengthy slog, as neither guy could gain an inch against the other on his serve.
As expected Raonic won the majority of his points with his monstrous first serve and most the rallies were kept to a minimum on a zippy grass court.
Murray said the thought of breaking the record had spurred him on. Yet, perhaps, it was too easy because, midway through the second, Murray dropped serve for the first time and allowed Cilic to level the match. But as ever when the Scot faces a crisis, he finds the answer. After seven games, neither player had lost a single point on their first serve and the opening set didn’t offer any break points – Raonic’s thunderbolt serve was his trump card yet Murray matched it.
This time it was the turn of Murray’s entourage to leap to their feet as the Scot roared with a combination of relief and delight.
From then on Murray gave Raonic barmely a sniff on his serve.
Raonic was disappointed that he couldn’t close the match in the second set.
Another former tennis superstar turned top coach, Boris Becker, this week expressed surprise that Murray had enlisted Lendl’s services once again. The player field is extremely strong.
“Normally he is in the commmentary box telling us what we should be doing. If I can put those things in order I can play some good tennis”.
Despite losing to Djokovic in 13 of their past 15 meetings, including this year’s Australian and French Open finals, Murray believes the return to his camp of coach Ivan Lendl this week can make the difference in the grass-court Grand Slam. Having reached the final in each of this year’s first two majors, perhaps Murray looks to Lendl as the final step in getting him back as Wimbledon champion. Thanks to all of my team. “To win it five times means a lot”.
Raonic has played better on paper.
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Raonic showed all of McEnroe’s influence with his improved ability at the net, and, on this week’s evidence, the American seven-time Grand Slam victor has surely made his new charge a Wimbledon contender. “Hopefully I can have a rematch a couple of Sundays away”.
