Milos Raonic Set to Face Stefanos Tsitsipas in Highly Anticipated Match at US Open

NEW YORK, New York – It’s been three years since Milos Raonic set foot in Flushing Meadows. The last time, in the midst of a pandemic, he had played two tournaments there in front of empty bleachers.

The Cincinnati tournament had been moved there, just before the United States Open, a question of maximizing and making the health bubble profitable in 2020. It was in the Masters 1000 tournament that he had faced the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas for the last time. .

Raonic won in two sets.

Three years later, the two will cross swords again on Monday evening on the Louis Armstrong court. If a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then, very different water for the two players, Milos Raonic intends to use his two victories won against the Greek in 2020.

The Ontario giant also beat him at the Australian Open. What to give him confidence on Monday? Yes but no.

I’d like to believe that both results still have meaning, but I don’t believe they do,” Raonic told Radio-Canada Sports. So much has changed in three years. He’s had a few hiccups this season, but above all he’s had tremendous success, with two grand slam finals.

Tsitsipas’ US tour has been bumpy so far. Winner in Los Cabos, Mexico in early August, in an ATP 250 tournament, he was then eliminated in his first match in Toronto by Frenchman Gaël Monfils.

Then, in Cincinnati, he folded in two sets in front of Hubert Hurkacz in the third round, after having easily defeated the American Ben Shelton in two sets in his previous duel.

I will have to play well to beat him, adds Raonic. I know what worked well when I beat him, so that helps me a bit in the preparation. I know what to do, now can I do it? It will be a very good match, very difficult, but I am ready.

We all know the immense potential of Raonic who still relies, despite a break of almost three years, on a devastating service.

The good news for the Ontarian is that he will face the seventh seed in the first round, with a body that has not been worn down by a game since his third round loss in Toronto.

Moreover, at 32 years old, Raonic prefers by far the formula of the grand slam tournaments with a match every two days, even if they are played in the best of five rounds. Great care is often needed for a great body.

It’s much better for me to have at least 36 hours between games and to have at least two nights of sleep, he explains. Even though the best-of-three matches are shorter, you still have to follow the same recovery routine, undergo the same treatments. You save a lot of time to do it and it puts me in a much better position.

In Toronto two weeks ago, Raonic put on two strong performances early in the tournament. He first eliminated Frances Tiafoe, ninth in the world, before correcting, two days later, the Japanese Taro Daniel.

The next day, against the American Mackenzie McDonald, Raonic’s game was indeed much less fair.

If he will not be able to count on the support of the New York public as he was able to do at home in Toronto, Raonic admits to feeling almost at home in New York.

His family accompanies him to the tournament, as does his wife and their dogs.

I’ve spent a lot of time in New York and have a lot of friends there, so the background feels a bit like Toronto, unlike the crowds, of course,” Raonic said. I am very happy to be able to play here and to play a second grand slam tournament this season.

Which would perhaps be the last of his career.

When he returned to action in the spring, Raonic said he had three tournaments in mind. Wimbledon, Toronto and New York. He said at the time that he should then have a good discussion with himself about his future.

Milos Raonic is at the same point three months later.

The discussion will take place, of course, but first, he wants to let his racket speak at least one more time.

2023-08-26 18:58:16
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