It was just the opening the Canadian needed, and he made full use of it to go and win the last three sets to reach the finals for the first time in his career.
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“I’ve had some great moments here and some tough losses – and the win feels extra special”.
Murray finally found his form on clay last summer and, after winning his first title in Munich, followed that up with a Masters crown in Madrid, beating Raonic in the quarter-finals.
Serena and Venus Williams advanced to the women’s doubles final at Wimbledon.
The American sisters beat eighth-seeded Julia Goerges of Germany and Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (3), 6-4 on No. 1 Court. Murray also reached the 2012 final, losing to Federer. Kerber defeated Venus in the semifinals. McEnroe’s coaching has already paid off with a 10-1 record this year on grass for Raonic, including a five-set victory over Roger Federer in the semi-finals.
The 2013 champion broke his opponent twice in the set, including to take a 5-3 lead.
And, a little earlier Friday, there was Federer, so successful through the years thanks in part to such a pinpoint serve, double-faulting two times in a row – What?!
Andy Murray earned the first break of the Wimbledon final.
But Murray’s all-around game is the reason why he’s the No. 2 ranked player in the world behind Djokovic. He beat the 34-year-old in straight sets in the Brisbane International final to kick off the 2016 season.
“I remember when I played Jack Sock in the third round, he messaged me and said, Hey, they want me to call your match”.
“You’re playing who Roger is today”, Raonic said, “not who he’s been the past few years”.
But there was Federer, seeded third, rallying from a two-sets-to-none deficit in the quarterfinals against Marin Cilic.
Tennis Canada also has a hand in shaping Canadian players – the organization has helped arrange for high-profile former tour players to coach promising young Canadians like Raonic and Bouchard.
The eight-time Grand Slam victor guided the Scot to victories at the Olympic Games in London and US Open in 2012 and his famous Wimbledon win 12 months later.
Raonic finished with 23 aces and 75 winners while Federer converted just one of nine break points. Federer wasted chances to go up a break when Raonic was 15-40 at 2-2 and then 0-30 at 5-5.
Raonic won the first set 6-3.
This is the 25-year-old Canadian’s second Wimbledon semifinal. McEnroe won Wimbledon three times and was hired by the Raonic camp as a grass court consultant.
But Raonic couldn’t handle a deep first serve on the first and netted a forehand return.
The loser gets to console himself with a £1m pay cheque – the first time the All England Club has offered the runner-up a seven figure consolation prize.
Against Federer, he would boom one right at the body at upward of 135 miles per hour – emanating a thud that reverberated around Centre Court – then hit an ace out wide at 115 miles per hour that sent up a spray of chalk when it hit a line.
With Novak Djokovic out, this was perhaps Federer’s greatest chance of winning an 18th major title and the veteran was visibly deflated afterwards.
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Raonic, who lost in the semifinals to Federer in 2014, is seeking to become the first Canadian man to reach a Grand Slam final.
