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MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAUMarch 30, 2015Milos RaonicMIAMI, FLORIDA M. RAONIC/J. Chardy THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. It seemed like it was going along quite smoothly and then a bit of a hiccup. He picked up his game. Talk about the match and how tough it got in those last two sets. MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, it was something I try to stay away from as much as I can. He started playing more freely and I sort of went the other way. He played good the second set. I thought he played better than I did in the third set. Q. He was up 4‑3 in the third set, and I think had double break point against you. What were you thinking at that time? And to get through that game and win that game, make it 4‑4, can you describe your feelings after that? MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, just tried to sort of stay in the present; do what my game is, sort of simplify; try to take control. On two second serves he missed both returns and sort of gave me a little bit of a lifeline. I sort of tried to carry that all the way through. The goal at that point with the way things were going was just to get it to a tiebreak and see what happens. Q. I believe it's the one‑year anniversary of the sleeve. MILOS RAONIC: Yes. Q. Talk a little bit about it and how you started wearing it here last year and then why you continued. MILOS RAONIC: It's a comfort thing at this point. I started wearing it last year here because I had a bad reaction in the sun so I had to cover up my arm. They told me to cover my arm with sleeves. That something I wasn't too keen on. Watching basketball players playing with that kind of support, because I love basketball, I came up with that idea. It stuck around since. It's been a year, and I don't think I have skipped playing a match with it. Q. One I think in Madrid, no? Didn't you skip one match in Madrid? MILOS RAONIC: No, I don't believe so. Maybe an exhibition or something. Q. Oh, okay. Is it compression? MILOS RAONIC: Yes. Q. Would it be fair to characterize you as kind of a superstitious guy? MILOS RAONIC: No, because I think I'd be fine ‑‑ if somebody stole my sleeve I wouldn't be, you know, panicking. I think I'd be fine without it. Just a comfort thing. It's something I feel comfortable with. Especially now on the right arm, when it's humid like it is here, rarely do you get sweat on the hands. Q. And it's also a fashion statement. MILOS RAONIC: Exactly. Q. We don't know who you're playing just yet, but if you can look at each of the two players, Grigor or John, and determine your thoughts on playing each of those? MILOS RAONIC:  Yeah, well, the first goal and objective, as always, is to organize my game and try to dictate as much as I can against both those guys. Both those guys like it when they are able to control the pace of the game, when they're able to be in the middle of the court and making the other guy to move. That will be my goal, sort of focus specifically on serving and returns so I can get in that position earlier in the points. And then from there you really just adjust on how things are going that day obviously. You know you have the targets where you want to exploit if you have the position to do so, but first of all, I've got to take care of myself. Q. Going head to head‑ let's say it's John ‑ so head to head on the serves, what are your thoughts on that aspect? Is it almost like a little bit of a game of cat and mouse as far as the serves are concerned if you're playing him? MILOS RAONIC: Well, I think you're going to be there. You may not get in many games; may have a few bad games. But when those opportunities arrive, just trying to make the most of them and being consistent. And sort of when you are able to get yourself in the rallies, just because you don't play a lot of shots, it's about staying aggressive and not sort of hesitating to be ahead and hope he gives it to you. You have to sort of go out there and take it. Q. If I could ask you a little bit, I don't know if you watched any of the Isner and Mahut match that went 70‑68 in the fifth set, but it's five years from when that played. Do you think it was kind of a good thing for tennis or bad thing or not any... MILOS RAONIC: I think it was good. I think it gave tennis a big outlet on a lot of main‑stage media in maybe a quieter time especially being the first week in a slam. I believe that was in the first round, so those first three days that it was really being ‑‑there were a lot of people that necessarily wouldn't be following tennis that early in the tournament that were just glued on it for the historic aspect. So I think that's always a benefit to get people wanting to participate more. Q. Did you follow it yourself at all? MILOS RAONIC: Yes, I did. I remember I was in Montreal back then training, and followed the second and the third day. I didn't follow the first day. Q. Following on from that, I just wondered, as somebody who has to play a fair share of tiebreaks, what is your view on the ITF bringing a tiebreak into the fifth set of Davis Cup? MILOS RAONIC: First time I'm hearing about it. But it is what it is. I'm not against it or really for it. Just because of the fact that we already face both realities in the tournaments we play. US Open obviously being a fifth set tiebreak, and then obviously going the length in the other three slams, I believe. I haven't been in that situation. I don't think so. I did play that way in Olympics quite a ways against Jo, but it's obviously ‑‑it's maybe not the best thing if you're trying to go out there and win the tournament after on, especially if it goes extremely long. But it is what it is. Everybody has to deal with that exact same circumstance. Q. Would it be more challenging for you to play Isner, another great server, other than Dimitrov in the next round? MILOS RAONIC: I think there is obviously the same challenges you're going to face. It's not more tough or easier to play either guy. For me, just like today, the focus needs to be on myself. I need to organize myself and then see what I need to adjust for those two guys. Obviously one is probably going to be more playable in terms of you'll get a few more points, but it doesn't mean it's easier by any means. Q. Obviously, as you know, all the talk is Kei, Milos, Grigor, next guys who take the charge. When you play somebody like Grigor, do you feel a little bit of extra pressure? Do you feel a little bit more nerve? Few more nerves? How do you approach a match against him compared to anybody else, knowing that you're the next guys to make a big event breakthrough? MILOS RAONIC: Well, I think it's really just like playing anybody else, except just maybe enjoy that challenge a little bit more from that significance. But just like playing Kei, we have played a bunch of times over the last 16 months or so. It's always going to be a very long match and always pretty much going the length as far as sets go. I enjoy being in those situations and I enjoy facing those challenges. You know, you are probably going to face them many more times, so you need to try to go out there and be the best you can be. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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