It was a heartbreaking outcome of a valiant effort. This is the best way to describe Milos Raonic’s marathon loss to Andy Murray in the semifinals of the ATP Finals in London.
Playing against somebody that he has already lost to on five previous occasions in 2016, the Wimbledon runner-up refused to be pushed around by the world number one. Instead, he displayed some play that was worthy of a number one player, including 10 aces and 44 winners.
“There’s a lot to take away from it. I have to be proud that I finished the year with giving it every ounce of energy I had.” Said Raonic.
“I’ll look back at 2016 with a lot of good moments, a lot of pride, a lot to be proud of.”
The effects of the match were apparent soon after its completion. Walking into the press conference room, Raonic continued to cough throughout as he copes with what appears to be the effects of a cold. The 25-year-old admitted that he was feeling under the weather ahead of his Murray clash, but refused to let that be an excuse for his loss.
“I was constantly trying to stay positive, keep my energy up, trying to fight through, that’s definitely the most significant thing I’ve done today.” He said.
“ I’m sure it will be more than a cold tomorrow.”
Ending his season by participating in the longest match in ATP Finals history, Raonic finds comfort in his grand slam breakthrough at the Wimbledon championships where he lost to Murray in the final. Outside of the major tournaments, this year the Canadian defeated Roger Federer to win the Brisbane Open and reach the final of two other events (Indian Wells and Queen’s). It is an impressive performance after also being dodged by injuries during the season, most recently a torn quad muscle.
Now entering his off-season, Raonic only has a month-and-a-half before the start of the 2017 tour. Embarking on the new year, the 25-year-old hopes to make further improvements, but at the same time avoid the repeat of his previous mistakes.
“The goal is going to be to continue to stay healthy. That’s the one thing that’s been sort of my kryptonite. Most moments I can start playing well, but rather than making momentum and progress, I can sometimes take myself two steps back. I have to reset myself, whether that be through injuries or other issues.” He said about his 2017 strategy.
Raonic closes his season with a 52-17 win-loss.
