Andy Murray will play in his fifth Australian Open final.
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Murray lost out on last year’s title to Novak Djokovic, who is also in the finals this year and looks set to take his second consecutive title here, and 6th overall.
Raonic is aiming to advance to his first Grand Slam final after losing in the semifinal at Wimbledon in 2014 in his only previous final-four match.
“I was going to fight and see what I could make of it, but it wasn’t looking that great”, said a gloomy Raonic.
The third-set tiebreak. Raonic started the breaker with a lucky shot off the frame but clubbed an inch-perfect overhead from the back of the court onto the line to go 5-2 up and finished the job with a 137.4mph ace down the middle.
His fans were absolutely loving it. Had he reached the final, Raonic would have been the first Canadian man to reach a final at any Grand Slam in the Open era. Djokovic defeated Federrer 3:1, but after the match he said that he was playing at unbelievable level which was necessary against Roger who “Was playing at very high level during Tournament”.
“He definitely slowed down in the fifth set for sure which was unfortunate for him”, the Scot added of Raonic’s injury. “We’ve played a bunch of times here…Hopefully this time it will be a different result”.
Murray was on the back foot against the Canadian for much of the match, and had to bide his time for his chances.
Andy Murray insists that his poor head-to-head record against Novak Djokovic will play no part in Sunday’s Australian Open final between the world’s top two players. “It was frustrating … he didn’t miss a first serve in the breaker and I had played some good tennis in that set”.
The 25-year-old said he had no intention of quitting despite the potential for aggravating the right groin problem, which he said he first felt on his run to this month’s Brisbane International title. An inspired Murray took control, even channeling Lleyton Hewitt with a wild lawnmower-pull celebration after a clutch volley victor on break point.
“I think at the end of the fourth set I did very well”.
Murray broke Raonic’s service in the last game after setting up set point with a crosscourt forehand victor and sealing it when the Canadian netted a backhand.
Jamie Murray and Brazil’s Bruno Soares will play Canada’s Daniel Nestor and Radek Štěpánek in the doubles final tomorrow.
With just under three and a half hours on the clock, it was a one-set shoot-out and whileMurray found a new lease of life, Raonic floundered, double faulting to give away an instant break and then battering his racket against the court in frustration.
The two-time Grand Slam champion will join Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber in pursuit of the marquee title during championship weekend at Melbourne Park.
The No. 2 seeded Murray heads into the match as the strong favourite over the Canadian, who becomes the first of his countrymen to reach the semifinals in Melbourne.
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Raonic had another visit from the trainer, who massaged his right thigh, but Murray was in the groove and he served out to force a decider.
