TENNIS AUSTRALIAN OPEN – 20th of January 2015. M.Raonic d. I.Marchenko 7-6, 7-6, 6-3. An interview with Milos Raonic
Q. What kind of serve would you hit to that announcer who challenged your manhood on the court?
MILOS RAONIC: I might go full out. I’d go full out.
Q. What can you say about today?
MILOS RAONIC: It was what I needed it to be, especially with how well I served, I probably should have stepped up and taken a few more risks on the return games. I felt at some points I got a little monotone with my game and I sort of stooped into a not-so-effective game plan especially on the return side. Other than that, it was what I needed it to be for a first round.
Q. When you clocked that forehand return in the first-set tiebreaker, is there much forethought there or is it more reaction?
MILOS RAONIC: No, that’s what I go for. I wasn’t necessarily, I would say, going for the line. But it was (indiscernible) it up on his forehand side, because it was the first time in the match that I went back on a second-serve return. So it was definitely to put some pressure on him and also make him look at a different trajectory.
Q. This happens to lots of players, but you played at an extremely high level against Roger in Brisbane. Do you sort of know you’re not going to get to that level that quickly at a tournament like this, first match?
MILOS RAONIC: Doesn’t matter how I finish Brisbane. This tournament, every tournament, doesn’t matter where, the previous one has nothing to do with it. I always start at zero. I have to find my way into it. That’s something I’ve learned to accept that necessarily I wasn’t the best at before, especially the first few years on the tour. But it’s just about getting through and giving myself an opportunity to play better in the next match.
Q. Did people tell you?
MILOS RAONIC: There were certain instances. The coach I always worked with believed in me a lot. I necessarily didn’t always see it that way. But my goals, my ambitions have more developed pretty much every year I go through. It changes. I believe a lot more in myself and I see I can do a lot more – definitely a lot more than I imagined when I first went pro. Things have developed and they’ve developed for the better, and so have my goals and ambitions.
Q. We have to create a little dissension in the Canadian camp. Miss Bouchard said last night she thought you were a little too obsessed with your hair.
MILOS RAONIC: Next question, really.
