And the final set would be a close one – the two wage in a 13-shot rally here, as they cover the entire court – but the point eventually goes to the Canadian as Federer slips on the turf trying to reach this return. I just felt not the same afterwards.
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“There was a significant point for me coming back from two sets to love in the fourth round (against David Goffin)”.
It will also be Murray’s first final from his 11 at the Grand Slams where he has not faced either Djokovic or Federer, against whom he has lost a combined eight times. Soon, he was in charge. “I’m glad that I’ve sort of been leading this charge, the first to break through. but I’m by no means done”. “I was sort of plugging away”, said Raonic, whose serve reached 144 miles per hour, produced 23 aces and saved eight of nine break points. “Mentally, I had one of my best matches in my history and my career”. I made the most of it and then I sort of tried to run away with it.
Raonic, who overcame seven-time champion Federer in five sets on Friday, has added three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe to his coaching team this year, while Murray reunited with Ivan Lendl before the start of the grass-court season.
He will face 2013 victor Andy Murray for the title.
This will be Andy Murray’s first Grand Slam final against anyone other than Roger Federer (0-3) or Novak Djokovic (2-5).
Ahead of their Wimbledon reunion, Raonic was asked how realistic it had felt to wish for the rematch with Murray, and said: “I think I believed it more than I believed it probably at any other stage of entering a tournament”.
But playing in an era when Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have snared 43 slams between them, Murray has had to make do with winning just two titles – at the U.S. Open in 2012 and the All England Club in 2013.
“It never feels normal”, said Murray. “It’s someone new that I’m playing against in the final”, said Murray, after breezing past Czech 10th seed Tomas Berdych to reach his third Wimbledon final. And is into his third final at the All-England club.
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.
“The thing that stands out for me was the return victor I hit on the break point at 3-1 to get back into the match”. It was the second five-set match for the Swiss in three days, so maybe he just needed to catch his breath.
Going into the match, Raonic had beaten Federer twice in 11 encounters.
The Canadian has a chance to break and take the fourth, and unloads a backhand passing shot – and with that seals the set, and we need a decider.
“I know his serve very, very well because I taught it to him”. I never take it for granted.
Murray, meanwhile, has won 36 per cent of return games and, when his opponent has missed his first serve, the Scot has taken the point 64 per cent of the time.
“That’s what I was going through, not thinking this might be my last Wimbledon”. I walked it off. That’s the goal. But, yeah, there’s a lot of people have helped get me into this situation. I don’t ever fall down. “That’s why I feel he can do it”.
“I hope it’s not so bad”.
And the effort took its toll on the 17-time major victor in the day’s first semifinals, which reached a crescendo just after Federer needed treatment on his right thigh and jarred his left knee and foot in a worrying fall.
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But more than any grass court tactics, Raonic says McEnroe’s most valuable contributions to his game thus far has been to unlock his emotions on court.
