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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 19, 2017

Milos Raonic

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

M. RAONIC/G. Muller

6-3, 6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Performance like that sort of almost leaves me speechless or voiceless. Can you identify with it?
MILOS RAONIC: I played well. I was efficient. I got the breaks. I faced some scares. I played well in those situations.

I stepped up at the end of that third set. He stepped up, as well. I'm happy I was able to finish it out there.

Q. What's the scoop with your...
MILOS RAONIC: I've got a little bit of a flu.

Q. The end of that third set, you were very vocal, urging yourself on. Not that you don't want to finish in straight sets, but it seemed, especially if you're feeling a little bit under the weather, particularly so?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, you know, in general over the last probably three, four tournaments, I've tried always to be a bit more positive and vocal with myself. I don't know how much of that I had in me.

I think I played in a much more monotone level to start. I tried to get the best out of myself by pushing because I was falling a little bit behind. He was having a bit more looks on my serve. I played that great game at 4-5 that he played phenomenal to hold on to for 4-All. I can't remember exactly.

But, yeah, I just try to do these little things to get a better level of tennis out of myself.

Q. When did you start feeling sick? Did it affect your energy levels today?
MILOS RAONIC: I started feeling a little bit of a cough, but I didn't think much of it, two days ago after my match, right before bed. Yesterday I was okay. I practiced normally and everything. I thought, Okay, maybe I'm on the way up from this.

Then this morning, I felt pretty bad waking up. Didn't warm up much. Just came out with the sort of idea of put everything into the match, try to solve it, understand the importance of the mental side of things in that situation.

Q. Are you taking anything for it?
MILOS RAONIC: Everything I could.

Q. Such as?
MILOS RAONIC: Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, something to protect my stomach.

Q. Your stomach, too?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, I've got to protect it if I'm taking all the other things (smiling).

Q. Gilles Simon next. What have you got to do to beat him? What do you know about his game?
MILOS RAONIC: I know a lot about his game. I've watched him play a lot. I've played him in quite a few important matches.

He's going to be there really trying to get me to play at his speed, his rhythm. Obviously he tries to slow things down, play low. I won't have the opportunity to get too many swings at many shots.

I've got to serve well and I've got to be aggressive and I've got to take it to him. The last thing I want to do is get into this sort of game of playing long rallies with him.

Q. The match with you and Muller, both of you guys like to use your serve and come to the net a lot. I think the total number of net approaches might have been 30-ish between the two of you. Any insight as to why that is, given how the match played out?
MILOS RAONIC: He wasn't making so many returns to start the match for the first two sets. He started making a lot at the end of that third set there. Myself, personally, I was more playing on the level of just play solid. I wasn't trying to really apply anything. I was just trying to be as efficient as possible.

Obviously he did volley great in that game at 4-All. I had Love-30. I hit three great returns. He made three great volleys. I had a breakpoint after. But he came up with big volleys in those scenarios.

He came forward when he had to, when I was making returns. But there wasn't many returns being made, I don't think, in the match.

Q. Before the tournament, you mentioned in terms of coming forward, you wanted to do it on a regular basis through the early matches, even the ones you think you can win from the baseline, so it becomes tried and true by the end.
MILOS RAONIC: Well, today was just get through the day.

Q. Are you proud of the fact that those of us who watched didn't sense anything about lower energy? You looked pretty good out there.
MILOS RAONIC: I just tried to keep it as simple and as much about myself as I could. I tried to really focus on the things that I need to do. Today was sort of the day I tried to play the simplest form of tennis I could really bring.

I tried to be the one getting the first strikes. I tried to take care of myself. If I got ahead in the set and I fell behind on his serve, I wasn't necessarily busting my back to get back into those games. I was just really trying to be as simple, efficient and fluid as possible on that court.

It was working for two sets. Then I had to step it up. I was grateful that I was able to in that third.

Q. How would you have felt about playing a fourth?
MILOS RAONIC: I would have been fine. I just probably would have felt worse now.

Q. Is there anything going around? Did the doctors tell you that other people have had it or anything?
MILOS RAONIC: Not that I'm aware of, no.

Q. Can I ask a funny question?
MILOS RAONIC: What would a press conference be without you and your funny questions (smiling)?

Q. Do you think it's a changing of the generations that you're dressed in quite a conventional way at this tournament and that Roger has a kind of loud, busy shirt, you've sort of flipped roles?
MILOS RAONIC: I don't know if that's a perplexing question because I'm not laughing.

I have certain things I like, certain things I like to incorporate, a certain kind of simplicity. That goes a long ways. Other people might like other things, so... I try to stick to what I know.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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