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January 9, 2015
BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND
M. RAONIC/S. Groth
7‑6, 3‑6, 7‑6
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. That was always going to be about serve, that match. Given that you talked about the improvement in your own serve over the off‑season, how do you think that went?
MILOS RAONIC: I lost a little bit in a part of there. I sort of was not focusing on the right thing. I wasn't really putting enough emphasis on the serve, especially in the beginning of the second set.
Because I was holding comfortably I got a little bit caught up in focusing on what I was doing on the baseline rather than making sure that I serve well.
He good did a great job to get on top of me at that moment. But I think I fared pretty about good. I think he played better than I did, and I sort of got through with experience and sort of just grit in that match.
Q. What about towards the end you seemed to show some emotion. Most of it you were pretty calm. Obviously meant a lot to finally make it over the line.
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, I did. Just sort of trying to use experience, things I've learned over the last three years. Especially the last probably eight months I've been having a pretty good record in tiebreaks, so it's just about sort of incorporating those things, trying to necessarily get on top of my opponent, try to sort of make them think a little bit more.
Because I don't think I had a single break chance. He was holding fairly handily. Then when I would play well and maybe make him play on a few volleys, he was volleying what I felt was very well, which is a big improvement for him.
So I had to sort of use my presence and try to step it up.
Q. Those games help going into a tournament like the Australian Open, to have a game where you're pushed in a couple big tiebreakers?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, it does. It's sort of minimizes what you're facing, I mean, when you have to face it the first time, especially in a big moment of a big event in that sense.
Also gives you insight on what you sort of need to clean up in your game and a little bit more of a perspective.
Q. What would you say you need to clean up in your game?
MILOS RAONIC: I got to focus my game style. I lost it for a few moments there. I let him be the aggressor. Win or lose, especially leading into the Grand Slam, I got to be playing my game style, which I sort of lost the identity there a bit.
Q. When you're playing against another big serving player or player with a big serving reputation, do you go into these tournaments thinking more about how you're going to combat his serve or you try to outpower him with your serve?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, my job is just to take care of my I serve. Worse case scenario get myself in a tiebreak. I do pretty well in those situations.
I think that's the issue I had for a little while in that second set, maybe even the start of the third. I was thinking too much about him, what he was doing. I felt like I stepped it up at the end of the second. I played a pretty good first game in the second set, and then I started focused on more so on what I need to do to pass him and that kind of stuff rather than focusing on my serve.
That's sort of where I lost the right kind of track of attention.
Q. So you think it's a good experience to get out of the way.
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, for sure. He made me feel uncomfortable. He has improved a lot, and he knows what he needs to do. He has a game plan and he is sticking to it. He believes in it. He definitely made it very difficult for me.
Q. You got your game plan that you believe in. Does it give you extra confidence?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, it does. It's important to get through the first matches. Now we are in the semifinals of a tournament. Everybody that's in that stage is already playing pretty well. They've gotten some matches behind them.
Now it just comes down to stepping up.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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