Andy Murray and Milos Raonic will be meeting for the 12th time in their careers when they contest the second semifinal match at the World Tour Finals on Saturday night.
Murray is leading the head-to-head series 8-3 after once trailing it 3-1. His 7-0 record against the Canadian in their last seven tilts dates back to the 2014 year-end championship, where Murray cruised 6-3, 7-5 in round-robin competition. They have already faced each other five times this season and it would have been six if not for Raonic’s recent withdrawal from a scheduled Paris semifinal showdown. Raonic, who has clearly recovered from his quadriceps issue, is 0-7 in his last seven sets against Murray since taking the opener of this summer’s Queen’s Club final. The stretch includes a 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(2) triumph by the current world No. 1 in the Wimbledon title match.
Murray also got the best of Raonic in the Queen’s Club final, and the Scot is an amazing 48-3 in his last 51 matches dating back to the start of that event. He has won seven of his last nine tournaments and is currently riding a 22-match winning streak. Murray, who took over at No. 1 in the rankings for the first time in his career two weeks ago, is 3-0 in London with victories over Marin Cilic, Kei Nishikori, and Stan Wawrinka. In between straight-set routs of Cilic and Wawrinka, Murray outlasted Nishikori 6-7(9), 6-4, 6-4 in three hours and 20 minutes on Wednesday afternoon.
“I think the one thing that I might have (in my favor),” Raonic explained, “is how much [Murray] has on his shoulders right now–a lot of consecutive matches, and what he’s playing for (the No. 1 ranking). I have to try to do my best to try to accentuate that as much as possible in my own favor so I can really get the most out of myself and hopefully be able to get on top of him for once this year.”
Raonic went 2-1 in round-robin action and even in his lone loss he accounted himself extremely well against the player Murray is battling for the No. 1 ranking–Novak Djokovic. Following a 6-3, 6-4 defeat of Gael Monfils, the world No. 4 succumbed to Djokovic 7-6(6), 7-6(5) in a high-quality affair on Tuesday. Needing a win over Dominic Thiem to reach the semis, Raonic took care of business 7-6(5), 6-3 in his group-stage finale on Thursday night.
“It’s a big match, obviously,” Murray assured. “Milos obviously serves big; goes for his shots. He moves forward when he has the chance. I think he probably likes the conditions here–it’s a little bit quicker. You don’t normally get loads of opportunities against the big servers. Then it comes down to when you do get those chances, whether you take them or not. And this year when I’ve played him, I’ve created a few opportunities in the matches. When they’ve come, I’ve been pretty clinical.”
Clinical? Dominant would be more accurate to describe Murray’s recent play against Raonic. The underdog’s form this week suggests that this one could be more competitive than some of their recent encounters, but Murray has forgotten how to lose tennis matches and has the extra benefit of home-court advantage–a scenario in which he thrived this summer at Queen’s Club and Wimbledon.
Pick: Murray in 2
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I really hope to see Andy v Djoko in the final. It would be epic to have the last game of the season fighting both players for N1.
That would be great.
I would have mixed feelings about who to cheer for.
Wouldn’t know who I was for until the match started.
Suspect my head would be for Nole (to tie Fed) and my heart would say Murray (underdog all things considered).
Murray in two. Murray to win the whole thing!
Raonic is more likely to pull off the upset than Nishikori.
Murray in 3 (but an upset is definitely possible)
Murray looks like he is losing here. Too bad for him, may lose the no.1 ranking if he loses this one. Only Kei can help him if Murray cant help himself.
What a joke! Why must Raonic break serve and then gets broken the next minute? Murray better takes the life line that Raonic throws at him.
I just started watching this match. What a battle!
Great DTL backhand by Murray!
Raonic holds. I wish that I had tuned in earlier to see this!
Wow! This match has been like a rollercoaster! Murray breaks again! Can he serve it out?
Twice Andy served for the match and couldn’t do it. Dang tie-break. Life is cruel.
He cant! TB now!
Win or Lose, Raonic looks like a future no.1 material, the way he pushes the current no.1 and 2 players to the limit.
I only hope this games don’t become a weight in his head. It’s not the first time he is really close of winning a huge game and loses his chance.
Murray is really making life difficult for himself!
Match of the year
Unbelievable!
How many match points has Murray lost?
Three I think, all of them during the tiebreak.
?? Andy, please make the final, dang it.
Andy does it!
These are the matches that can really make a player. When you can fight through something like that, it can give you real confidence and belief that will carry forward!
I have to give credit to Raonic for battling all the way to the end.
What a relief, Nny. I just wanted Andy to make the final and give it a shot vs Nole. And he made it 😀 Courageous effort, chapeau, Andy!!
Bravo to Milos too. Great match.
rc,
Yes, me too! I want to see Novak and Andy in the final!
That was really nerve wracking!
Another choke for Milos.