Milos Raonic has reached his first grand slam final after outlasting seven-time champion Roger Federer 6-3, 6-7(3), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, in a Wimbledon epic.
The encounter was a meeting of the old against the new. Their semifinal clash at SW19 marked Federer’s 40th appearance in the last four of a major compared to Raonic’s third.
Despite being the underdog in the match, it was the 25-year-old Canadian who struck first by breaking for 3-1 after capitalising on a nervous Federer service game. His Swiss opponent threatened to break back throughout the opening set, but the sixth seed maintained the edge with the help of his blistering serve. Raonic failed to convert his first set point due to a sublime cross-court winner from the seven-time grand slam champion before triumphing on his second with his 14th winner of the match.
Raonic’s start to the match came as no surprise for his nemesis. At their latest meeting in the final of the Brisbane International in January, he dismissed Federer in straight sets. The second set saw both men display their best serving skills with only five points being dropped on serve during six games. It wasn’t until the 11th game when the seven-time champion had the chance to level the match. An error-stricken Raonic service game at 4-5 handed Federer a total of four set points, but he failed to convert all of them as a tiebreaker approached.
The tiebreaker was a test of both men’s nerves and it was Raonic’s turn to stumble. A sixth double fault in the match from the Canadian handed the crowd favourite the crucial break, triggering a loud cheer from the centre court crowd. Federer’s comeback was then completed when a backhand error from his rival resulted in the match being levelled at a set apiece.
An almost identical situation occurred in the third set with the seven-time champion attacking his opponents serve. As Raonic raced towards the net, a superb forehand passing shot rewarded the 34-year-old with yet another break point and once again he converted with the help of an error from the sixth seed. Closing in on a two-set lead, an ace down the line elevated Federer to just six games away from his 11th Wimbledon final.
Federer has a spotless record in the Wimbledon semifinals. In his previous ten encounters the seven-time champion has only dropped one set. He seemed destined to cruise to the win after edging towards two break points for a 3-2 lead but was denied by a determined Raonic. The resistance demonstrated from Raonic was world-class and it brought him the justice he deserved. Federer was on the verge of a second tiebreaker in the match with a 40-0 lead before his rival staged a dramatic comeback to force a deciding set after a spectacular forehand passing shot. That one shot turned the entire match around.
Proceedings were just as dramatic off the court as they were on. Prior to the final set, Federer made the unusual decision of calling for a trainer the upper part of his right leg. This year he has been troubled by back and knee issues, however, there have previously been no issues with his leg. Then another scare occurred at the start of the decider for the Swiss after after a trip sparked the call of a trainer midway through the game. That dramatic game concluded with an even more dramatic outcome after a long rally at the net concluded with Raonic hitting a cross court winner to break for 3-1.
The prospect of another stunning Federer comeback failed to occur as Raonic continued his aggressive play against his tiring Swiss rival. Holding serve with ease, he moved to one game away from his maiden major final. Serving for one of the biggest wins of his career, the 25-year-old sealed his place in the final when a Federer shot sailed outside of the court.
“It’s an incredible comeback for me, I was struggling there.” He said about his milestone win.
“Throughout the third and fourth set he (Federer) was playing some really good tennis. I just had a little opening I managed to turn it around and win the great match.”
Becoming the first Canadian man to reach a Wimbledon final, Raonic fired 23 aces and 75 winners during his semifinal epic. It is an achievement that will be an enormous boost for Canadian tennis, however, Raonic’s mind is already set on the final.
“It will be a bigger impact (on Canadian tennis) if I win. That is what I need to focus on and put my energy in that.” The 25-year-old said.
“It’s a great feeling to be continuing (in the tournament) and giving me my first chance in a final.”
In the final Raonic will play either Andy Murray or Tomas Berdych.
