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AEGON CHAMPIONSHIPSJune 19, 2015Milos RaonicLONDON, ENGLAND G. SIMON/M. Raonic THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. How disappointing is that loss for you? MILOS RAONIC: The tennis I thought was great. I thought he played really well. I thought I played quite well. The only thing I really have to be disappointed with is I wish I would have sort of guts it out a bit more, tried to play on my terms. I was waiting for him too much and I let him dictate. I wish I would have just in some moments sort of stepped up a bit more and put it out there a little bit more. I think that's what made the biggest difference. He sort of showed the courage and he put it all out there. I hesitated a little bit. I don't know if that's lack of matches or what it is, but it's something that I can easily take care of for the next time around. Q. When you're facing match points on his serve, do you have a tactic or is it more instinct? Like what's going through your mind? MILOS RAONIC: Well, I wish I would have played those two points, I believe it was 30‑All in deuce like I did play on the match points. I think those are the moments I really stepped up and said, Okay, if he's going to beat me, I'm going to make him beat me. I'm not just going to sort of lose it and give it over to him. I wish I would have sort of, in a way, stepped up a little bit earlier. Q. Obviously serving is one of your strengths. Return of serve, is it something you work on in practice or is it something you kind of spend time and you're needing to improve? MILOS RAONIC: I think so. He played really well in that ‑‑there was sort of a momentum shift after that second set, that long game, where I had a bunch of those chances. Especially on one of them he came up with a great lob from the forehand side. You know, those kind of moments I shouldn't have left maybe that switch around the match, but it made a big difference for him and you could even see by his reaction. I wish I would have just been a bit more aggressive, and I think I would have had more opportunities on his service games. Q. How do you sum up this week for you, and how is your body feeling, especially your foot? MILOS RAONIC: It's a week that's exceeded my expectations by far. Coming into here, other than playing probably six matches, I haven't played tennis for ten weeks. I came in here with a week's training. My body is a little bit beat up, but it's all the kind of progressional pains that I know I go through this right now and it's going to have me better prepared by the time Wimbledon comes around. The feet and the right foot especially is good. I'm happy with the way things are going, the progress I'm making. Obviously there is always little things, but everything is under control and the progress is definitely positive. Q. There has been a debate this week about the dominance of the big servers at this tournament, and I'm just wondering, who do you see as the best server in the world? MILOS RAONIC: I believe myself. Q. Why? MILOS RAONIC: It takes me a long way. I think the serve is not only about what necessarily you can do with the serve but it's how you step up. If you look at results, numbers besides names, I think my serve has carried me a pretty long way. Q. Going on to Wimbledon, you say this week has exceeded your expectations. Do you have any expectations for Wimbledon? MILOS RAONIC: Definitely I think everything is going to change. If you asked me with the way things were going two days before this tournament, I don't think you'd get too much of ‑‑I was in a frustrated mode, and I don't think you would get too much of a positive reply out of me. But everything is sort of changing day by day. I'm competing really well. I have taken the time, over this time that I couldn't play, I think I have improved my mental side significantly and I have given myself more tools to use. I just needed my body to catch up a little bit, and therefore, I think I can do great at Wimbledon. Q. Is it something specific you have been doing on the mental side? MILOS RAONIC: A lot of discussions, reviewing previous matches, understanding what would make the difference, where maybe I faltered, where I feel like I need to improve to give myself, especially in the big matches against the top guys, more of an opportunity and to sort of try to shift things as much as I can to help me. Q. Is that with coaches or with somebody... MILOS RAONIC: Coaches, everything. That's discussion with everybody. It's just lots and lots of talking, lots of understanding, and just being more open about those kind of things. Sometimes I let stuff sort of boil inside and carry it for too long. I think that's a personal thing that I have gotten better with but also as a tennis player, as well. Q. How much if at all do you feel this extra week, a week of grass court tennis, will change the script at Wimbledon? Will the big servers or guys who are maybe more comfortable on grass, will they be able to feel their way more into Wimbledon because they have had more time to adjust? MILOS RAONIC: I think everybody is gonna react sort of differently to it. I think some players it will help out. I think you have had some players that have sort of used this time as a recovery period just because of how they see the whole grass season. But I think just from the start of the tournament, the quality of tennis will be better just because of time. You can't really cheat time, spending time on court and so forth. So I think the quality from the get‑go will be sort of not the way people play in the second week of Wimbledon but it will be closer to that than it has through previous years. I don't know if that changes any results and so forth, but I think that sort of changes the mentality of players. Q. Who do you feel has the best shot for this title? MILOS RAONIC: The way guys are playing, it really comes down to one or two points. You have seen or I have watched Kevin really perform well on the big points and give himself a great step forward. Gilles did it today. I have watched a bit of Andy. I have watched a bit of everybody play. It's gonna come down to one or two points. I think that's why it's difficult really to call. Obviously it's hard to go against Andy on grass. He has the best tenor on grass out of anybody in the tournament, but I think the margins are quite small and to who can make the most of them. Q. Is that a gut reaction? MILOS RAONIC: My gut is not involved. Q. Is it hard to play someone who takes their time between points when you're the returner and you want to sort of feel your way through the game? MILOS RAONIC: Today, for example? Q. No, not today. In general, I mean. MILOS RAONIC: No. We have a 25‑second rule. Everybody plays within the same guidelines, and there are some moments that I just wish the umpires would be strict with it. I think it should be almost like having an NBA shot clock in a way. 25 seconds, you pass it, call it. No judgment, nothing. Q. Would you be for a shot clock actually on court? MILOS RAONIC: I don't know if you necessarily need it, but I think if you sort of are very strict with it from the beginning, players will learn by habit what is 25 seconds. You know, people will adjust their routines to make it in that time, and somebody can be all willing if they want. If they feel like they need more time, you can give up a serve and take 50 seconds, because technically once you get called out you have another full 25 seconds. But I think it should be a rule that's black and white and not sort of play it in a big gray area if it's in the books. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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