Australian Open 2012 Finals: Djokovic Versus Nadal - Preview

Rafael Nadal, the second seed will challenge his nemesis Novak Djokovic, the top seed, in the finals of the Australian Open 2012 on Sunday evening. He lost six finals to Djokovic in 2011. Djokovic is the defending champion.

Reasons for Nadal’s repeated defeats against Djokovic are not difficult to fathom. Djokovic has become a confident and mentally strong player in 2011. He has added something extra to his shots. He is able to anticipate Nadal’s shots and is in a comfortable position to execute his shots. Djokovic hits winners from inside the baseline, creating angles difficult to reach. Baseline rallies were the bread and butter of Nadal’s game, but he is now losing most of them against Djokovic. As the rallies progress, Nadal becomes more and more defensive and retreats more and more behind baseline. His normal length of shot lands the ball shorter and shorter. Djokovic is inside the baseline to pounce upon such short balls.

Nadal had Federer on the other side of the net on most of the occasions in the past. He developed his game to exploit Federer’s weakness. The top spin forehand to Federer’s backhand became so much of a stock shot that Nadal would instinctively play it as the bread and butter shot. Now Nadal appears to have become a prisoner of such instinctive play. The high bouncing forehand brought him trophies at the cost of Federer and also, at the French Open where such shot is otherwise too a good shot. In retrospect, by acquiring a particular winning game over Federer, team Nadal did not find it necessary to develop other type of game. Even after suffering reverses against Djokovic in the hard court tournaments before the clay season in 2011, the same game was played in the clay tournaments only to lose even more easily. The instinctive cross court forehand to Djokovic backhand became a victim of easy backhand winner from Djokovic. Djokovic has arguably the best backhand in the game, something of the calibre of David Nalbandian or Marat Safin in their prime. Nadal continued to play the same game against Djokovic to lose the finals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year. In this Australian Open too, Nadal is playing the same type of game. Whether he comes out with a different strategy and is able to execute it too, will be seen on the day only.

It appears that Djokovic technique on ground strokes is simpler, straightforward and precise. His forehand shot is aimed to a point almost in a straight line and because of his fitness he is in a position to take the ball before it dips. He hits it almost in a straight line towards the intended target. Nadal lets the ball come to him and hits it in a parabola. It has its own strong and weak points. Since Djokovic reaches the ball and Nadal lets the ball reach him, one has seen Nadal being pushed from corner to corner by Djokovic in 2011. Even if they were presumed to be equally fast, Djokovic motion is straight and his posture while hitting the ball is not contrived. Since there is little set up time required, Djokovic was seen unhurried while returning Nadal shots than vice versa. Moreover, the parabola is lengthier and gives extra time to Djokovic to prepare his return. In the finals, Nadal may try to hit flatter, but he will commit more unforced errors since he has not done this in the previous rounds.

Nadal has to make adjustments when playing against somebody who has figured out his game totally. He might play inside out forehand as much as the usual cross court forehand. He might go on offensive before Djokovic does. Out and out offence is not Nadal’s game. He started as a defensive player before he honed his game to hard courts and grass. On the other hand, Djokovic has made adjustments to his game in 2011. He appears more versatile than Nadal since he is equally good on both flanks. His serves are better, physical movements are more fluid and he is constantly on attack. If Nadal is able to take the match to the fifth  set, he can hope that Djokovic might feel a bit tired after having played Andy Murray for almost five hours in the semi-final.

Nadal is the underdog, but every dog has its day.

Australian Open 2012: Federer Versus Nadal - Preview

Roger Federer takes on Rafael Nadal in the first semi-final of the Australian Open on January 26 in the evening session. Nadal leads the rivalry 17-9. The manner in which Federer defeated Juan Martin Del Potro shows that he is playing almost at his present best. Nadal, on the other hand, struggled against Tomas Berdych.

 

There is little change in the game of the two players, but Nadal is a bit slower than before. He commits more unforced errors.  His first serve was faster in the U.S Open, 2010. His second serve has been slower than that of women’s second seed Petra Kvitova. Federer too is much slower than in his prime years. The balls come faster these days, which has led to his shanking the ball more. His serve used to be his main weapon as well as his savior. He was very effective in serving out the matches in his prime and also getting out of trouble with good serves on break points. But in recent times, he has lost while serving for the match. He did not serve exceptionally well against Del Potro in the last match. His first serve percentage was well below the usual 65%. He served only five aces in 14 service games. Nonetheless, his serve continues to baffle his opponents.

The top spin forehand to Federer’s backhand became so much of a stock shot that Nadal would instinctively play it as the bread and butter shot. It has won him numerous points since though Federer has figured out what he has to do to counter it, he has not been able to execute it on consistent basis. In his previous rounds, Nadal has been seen feeding short balls to the backhand of his opponents and many a time, these have been smothered by the two fisted backhanders. However, the single fisted Federer may not be able to do the same to these short balls with the result that Nadal will be able to stay longer in the point. Nadal’s clay court type of game is no longer a mystery to many players but it is still effective against Federer.

Conversion of break points in not Nadal’s forte. He also finds it difficult to serve out for the set or match. His decision at times of receiving the serve after winning the toss can be seen in this perspective too. Federer mostly likes to serve first and thereafter manages to serve first in the subsequent sets.

Federer will score points from the forehand corner of Nadal and Nadal will score points from the backhand of Federer. Federer dictates the play and if he has to lose, it is often on an unforced error from his racquet. He is making many more unforced errors since he wants to keep the point short. Nadal should keep Federer away from tie break since serve plays an important point there which makes Federer dominant in tie breaks. Federer is comfortable with speed since he is able to utilise the speed of the opponent effectively. He is not that comfortable with Nadal’s spin. His co-ordination suffers with the excessive spin. He is more at ease with the flatter shots of players like Del Potro. Federer can disturb the rhythm of players with heavy slice. He can nullify their pace with the slice, but with Nadal, it is not that effective since Nadal pulls up on the shots. On account of the extra spin, his return of Federer’s slice does not go into the net. Federer plays a smart game and Nadal plays a physical game. Federer tries to end the point in five - six shots, but when somebody like Nadal hangs in there much longer and returns everything thrown at him, Federer starts getting uncomfortable.  

The rivalry is heavily loaded in favour of Nadal, but Federer has the capacity to rise to the occasion and prove everybody wrong.

Australian Open 2012: Murray Versus Nishikori - Preview

Andy Murray will meet Kei Nishikori in the quarter-finals on Wednesday, the 25^th. Nishikori is in his first quarter-finals of any Grand Slam event. Murray was the finalist in the last two editions of the Australian Open and is aspiring to go one better this time.

The key to Murray’s wins is his serve and determination. He is serving very well, much above the usual percentage. His first serves were 68% against Edouard Roger-Vasselin, 60% against Michael Llodra, and 65% against Mikhail Kukushin. Murray hit 48 winners and committed 11 unforced errors against Michael Llodra in the 28 games played; 41 winners and 19 unforced errors against Roger-Vasselin; and 17 winners and 15 unforced errors in the short match against Kukushin. The last result can be discounted since Kukushin was visibly struggling with hip injury and Murray was playing aggressive shots freely.

Murray played his usual stock game against Kukushin. The strategy was to keep the ball in the court, deep and controlled. There were less balls going to the centre of the court. The strategy succeeded, as it does many a time against those who do not hit the ball as hard. Only consistent hitters like Novak Djokovic or tacticians like Roger Federer are able to disturb Murray’s rhythm. Nishikori is not one of them. His strengths lie elsewhere.

Murray and Nishikori have met only once, but more importantly that was just three months ago in the Shanghai Open. Murray defeated Nishikori in the semi-final on his way to the title. In that match, Nishikori could not get a single break point on Murray’s serve. He was bageled in the second set to lose in straight sets. It will give an immense psychological edge to Murray. At the same time, Nishikori will have a known game to play against and rectify the mistakes committed previously.

Nishikori may exhibit patience and invite Murray to go for winners. Murray is known to play cat and mouse games. He is able to do it well since, like Federer, he plays with mind. The variety in his game is as much stroke wise as tactics wise. He changes the speed, depth and spin of the ball. He alternates between defence and counter-attack. Nishikori also adopts similar tactics. We may see long rallies from the baseline.

With both Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga out of way, Murray appears well set on his passage to the Semi-Finals.

Australian Open 2012: Federer Versus Tomic - Preview

Bernard Tomic, the youngest player left in the draw, locks horns with the oldest player Roger Federer in the round of sixteen on Sunday, the 22^nd. In spite of having played very long matches, he will come out in extra gear to meet his idol for a place in the quarterfinals.

Tomic has fared beyond expectations so far, but now it is reality check time. Tomic is a bright prospect, but is not yet there. Federer has been there and is not yet done.  Tomic serves first serve at less than 180 kmph. Even if he places it well, it is difficult to get past Federer’s racquet. Federer has very good anticipation. He sights the direction of the serve earlier than others. Tomic might have hard time sending aces. He will have to send 70% of first serves in. Even that might get him only half of the points. Where will he go for other winners? His ground strokes are not in the class of Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal. Net play does not come naturally to him. Federer has good capacity to pass and he had good practice passing the rushing Ivo Karlovic in the last match. Federer opens up court by creating acute angles. Tomic moves all right, but he has some limitations being a tall guy. Running shots are not his forte. Given Federer’s superiority over serve, return of serve, mobility, forehand, anticipation, footwork, it is difficult to see how Tomic will overpower him. Yet, he did take a set in their Davis Cup encounter last year, the only time the two have met. And Tomic is a better player now. He will have to recall what he did in that set and play to his own strengths. Federer does not have history of getting overawed by a partisan crowd. If he does, Tomic is in with a realistic chance.

Australian Open 2012: Hewitt Versus Raonic - Preview

Lleyton Hewitt takes Milos Raonic to the street fight in the third round on Saturday. He is the underdog and that suits him well. Both have undergone hip surgeries in the past, but are untroubled at present.  

In the last match, Raonic committed one unforced error per game, which is not a glaring shortcoming. His second serve continues to be equal to the best, clocking 165 kmph. He is serving three aces per four service games, which is not his best. He hit one winner per game which coupled with one ace per game is good enough to see him through many of his service games. His first serve percentage was poor at 54%, but most of these first serves have brought him a winnable point.

Raonic playing at his best is beyond the capability of Hewitt playing at his present best. Hewitt generally plays at his best. How best Raonic plays will depend on how much he listens to other sounds than those of the shots. The crowd will be mad at him and he is not immune to such pressures.

Lleyton Hewitt is bound to draw Raonic into rallies. His strategy will be to draw errors from Raonic. Hewitt relies on his first serve for winning points. His second serve is conservative which prevents him from going on offensive immediately. Raonic has the capability of saving break points, since he tends to find first serve when he needs it. But his capability to convert break point is comparatively less. Hewitt will attempt to run Raonic from side to side to find gaps in court positioning.

Hewitt is a hardened player who has seen many victories and defeats. He generally excels in front of a cheering crowd. Raonic has a cherubic face, but a mature personality. If he gets overawed by the occasion, he loses. If he shuts himself out and plays his best, he wins.  

Australian Open 2012: Tomic Versus Dolgopolov - Preview

Bernard Tomic and Alexandr Dolgopolov will meet in the third round on Friday, the 20^th January. Both have had marathon matches in the first two rounds. Dolgopolov has played eighty six games in ten sets and Tomic has played ninety three games in nine sets. Tomic is four years younger and five inches taller than Dolgopolov.

Tomic improved his performance from the first match in almost all fields. He reduced his unforced errors by one third in the second round. It appears that there were some nerves in the first match. He hit one and a half time more winners than in the first match. All this augurs well for his next round match with Dolgopolov. Dolgopolov’s performance has gone down from the first match. He was much more error prone in the second match and his winners were not many more. He is yet to acquire the mental strength of a champion, but having faced an Australian in the first round, he can be expected not to wilt under the crowd pressure.

Dolgopolov has won all the three previous meetings, but Tomic took the first set in both the encounters in 2011. Tomic has since come of age and it will be a different type of encounter on Friday. Dolgopolov has a better first serve but a rather poor second serve which is likely to be exploited by Tomic. Dolgopolov has more variety in his game and can spring surprises in the form of drop shots or placements. Being a light weight, he is a very good mover on the court. Tomic does not move as well, being a tall guy. Dolgopolov will get more aces past Tomic but his first serve percentage may be around 60% only. First serve percentage of Tomic is likely to be a bit higher but he is not as good in the aces department. Ultimately, it will boil down to the resolve to win. Bernard Tomic is likely to have a greater motivation to win on the home soil and the crowd will try their best not to let him down.

Australian Open 2012: Nadal Plays Safe To Move Into Third Round

Rafael Nadal was made to work hard by the old guard Tommy Haas in the second round. It was a straight set victory in 6-4 6-3 6-4, but each game took more than five minutes on an average to complete.

Tommy Haas plays old type of tennis where he mixes up things and goes for court placement than sheer power. He was also the oldest player in the men’s section of draw. In each of the first two sets, Nadal went up a break in the very first service game of Haas. Perhaps his choice of electing to receive after winning the toss was his game plan which he executed well to start with. However, he himself was broken once each in the first and the third set. There was no scare at any point in the match, but the game left a few pondering points for Nadal’s fans. His average serve speed was 176 kmph on the first serve and 135 kmph on the second serve. He served two aces and two double faults. He also played short balls and stock shots to the backhand of the single fisted Haas to remain in the rally. It was the consistency of his ground strokes which took him through, though he did hit a number of winners. With the right knee strapped, he might have preferred to have a shorter stay on court.

In the third round, he will meet the winner from Lukas Lacko - Donald Young match.

Australian Open 2012: Murray Defeats Harrison To Move Into Second Round

Andy Murray began his campaign against Ryan Harrison and immediately went down under the exuberance of the nineteen year old American. He lost the first set 4-6. It was a wakeup call. He did not panic and it is to his credit that he continued playing his normal game. Chinks started appearing in the game of his opponent and Murray patiently took his chances. Both were playing similar style of game and therefore each game was going through a lot of rallies. The four sets took three hours and twelve minutes. In the first set, Murray looked like taking his task rather casually. He was not that fast and sometimes, was seen trying to reach a wide ball, where with his exceptional anticipation, he is accustomed to see the ball in the middle of his racquet. It was also in the final set that he started taking the opponents service games a bit casually once he was up 3-1 with a break.  He tried to keep the points short, win or lose. If Harrison got his game at love, Murray also significantly contributed to it. It also perhaps showed his confidence that he will be able to keep his serve intact. He did, though not always with comfortable margin. Harrison has a good second serve. It was clocking 175 kmph many a time. Murray was just blocking it to Harrison’s backhand utilising the server’s speed. In the end, it was a comfortable victory to the fourth seed, but unlike the other top three contenders whose matches were one sided in comparison. However, this was mainly due to the quality of the opponent. Ryan Harrison is considered a future top ten player. There was no shame in getting extended to that extent. Infact, if Murray was not extended, it would have been demoralising for the fans of Harrison. The final score line read 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-2 in Murray’s favour.

Australian Open 2012: Roddick Versus Haase - Preview

Andy Roddick meets Robin Haase in the first round of the Australian Open 2012. It is going to be a fight between experience and exuberance. Andy Roddick has strong weapons to pull himself out of trouble but Robin Haase is no pushover. He has had impressive victories over some big names like Andy Murray, Tomas Berdych, Marat Safin and Gilles Simon. It is likely to be a close fight.

They had met in the Australian Open last year when Roddick prevailed in four sets. Roddick has since moved down from eighth rank to sixteenth and Haase has climbed a bit. Both of them earned one title in 2011. Robin Haase seems to have a penchant for giving trouble to top players. At Wimbledon 2010, he led the eventual champion Rafael Nadal two sets to one before succumbing in five. He gave a scare to Andy Murray at the U.S Open 2011 when he led him by two sets to love but lost the plot thereafter. At Wimbledon 2008, he took Lleyton Hewitt to five sets. Haase sometimes finds himself unable to consolidate a winning position in the match. He does great work to go up, but then falters as the finishing line approaches.

Roddick will rely heavily on his serve and will try to win his service games to get into a position to put pressure on Haase’s serve. But he does not have put away shots and a five year younger Haase will run down all angles thrown at him. Haase is likely to attack Roddick's back hand where he mostly tries to keep the ball in play. Haase also possesses a good serve which may look ever better against Roddick since he is not such a good returner.

It will be an absorbing contest. Although an upset in not on the cards, it cannot be ruled out either.

Australian Open 2012: Tomic Versus Verdasco - Preview

    Passions will fly when the local lad Bernard Tomic meets the twenty second seeded Fernando Verdasco in the first match of the Australian Open in the Rod Laver arena. Verdasco has the unenviable task of handling one of the most promising youngsters in the tennis world and also the crowd frenzy in the centre court. 

    Verdasco rose in esteem after his five set semi-final against Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open 2009 and followed up this performance to rise up to career high ranking of nine in 2009. All that looks like a distant memory now. He has gone down in consistency and does not have the winning mindset. He has gone without title in the whole of 2011. This vulnerability will be tested to full in his first encounter. On the other hand Tomic is coming with a winning frame of mind from Kooyong Classic last week where he lifted the trophy at the expense of Mardy Fish. He has indeed improved as a player and is viewed as a future prospect. 

    Verdasco does not have a monster second serve and that is likely to be exploited by Tomic. But Tomic also has not shown any single devastating shot. He plays more like a counter puncher. Verdasco has the capacity to hit winners but also has the tendency to commit unforced errors while doing so. He does not bring out his best on the crucial points. Tomic plays a normal game and in his fourth appearance in the Australian Open, nerves are unlikely to catch on him. On the other hand, he might get pep from the home crowd and convert it into a strength. 

    Fernando Verdasco is the higher ranked player but it is not definite that he will progress to the second round.

Australian Open 2012 Preview: Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Murray Are The Contenders, Tsonga Is The Dark Horse

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray are the favorites to lift the trophy at the Australian Open 2012. However, Australian Open does not have history of honouring seedings. In the last fifteen years, only 2009 featured the two top seeds in the finals.

Novak Djokovic has started 2012 from where he left 2011. There were no signs of weakness in his game in Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi where he defeated David Ferrer in the finals for the loss of just three games. Although it was only an exhibition tournament, the game was on display. He easily defeated Federer in the semi-finals. In Djokovic’s quarter, only Milos Raonic can give a sort of fight to Djokovic. Janko Tipsarevic did defeat Djokovic in Barclays WTF at London in November 2011, but Djokovic's defeat was not convincing. A fully fit Djokovic is beyond the level of Tipsarevic, although Tipsarevic has capability of showing extra-ordinary performance against higher ranked opponents. It is difficult to forget his match against Roger Federer in the Australian Open 2008.  

Rafael Nadal is not being considered a firm favourite this year. He had a very good year in 2011 when he reached finals in three Grand Slam events and triumphed in one of them. However, his successive defeats against Djokovic in six finals of 2011 have robbed him of self-confidence. His game is the same, but the players have figured out his weaknesses and are no longer intimated by him. Nevertheless, his fighting spirit mostly takes him home in a five set format and he can never be ruled out of contention in any Grand Slam tournament. In his quarter, Tomas Berdych, Kevin Anderson, John Isner and Nikolay Davydenko will fancy their chances against him.

Roger Federer is no longer troubled by the burden of expectations these days. He has achieved the most in the tennis history. His game as well as physical prowess can not be compared to his prime years, but he still has the streak of consecutive quarter final appearance in Grand Slam events. However, he brings a back injury into the Australian Open this year. In his quarter, only Juan Martin Del Potro has the capability of causing an upset, barring the unforeseen disasters. However, Del Potro has not shown such performances after his return from injury.  Federer will attempt to win his matches in three sets, but those who are able to take him beyond four sets can instill doubts in his mind in the fifth set. There are not many and one would need light to search for them in his quarter.

Andy Murray has added Ivan Lendl to his strengths, but what has he added to his game, will be seen only during the championship. Nonetheless, it shows his determination to do better. He would have been a champion in the era when game was played at a slower pace. However, he has realised the need to have aggressive baseline shots. He has a difficult quarter where anyone from Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils, Viktor Troicki and Thomaz Bellucci can trouble him. Andy Murray has had a good 2011 where he reached semi-finals of all the four Grand Slam events.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is the dark horse who can play better than anybody on his day. Whether he has a tryst with that day in the course of the two weeks of Australian Open will have to be seen as the tournament progresses.

Aircel Chennai Open 2012: A Happy New Year For Milos Raonic

Milos Raonic won the battle of three tie breakers to lift trophy at Aircel Chennai Open defeating top seeded Janko Tipsarevic 6-7 7-6 7-6. It was a nerve wrecking encounter in which neither player was a clear cut winner at any point of time before the final set tie breaker. Raonic served 35 aces during the three sets.

Tipsarevic won the toss and elected to receive, something that would favour his opponent. Raonic served unreturnable serves and took the first game 40-15. Three of his serves were above 215 kmph, which was an indicator of things to come in the match. Tipsarevic also took his game at the same score courtesy two unforced errors from Raonic. The pattern was set wherein Raonic will concentrate on serve and Tipsarevic, on not committing many errors. It was in the fourth game that Tipsarevic committed his first unforced error while attempting a winner. Raonic got three consecutive break points but Tipsarevic saved all three by serving aces exactly at the same point, that is, on the T. At this stage, Tipsarevic was playing the important points better. Raonic was playing 8-10 feet behind the baseline and some of his shots were not clearing the net. He was also having difficulty in returning the second serves which were coming to him at about 135 kmph. Firing aces, Raonic was untroubled on his serve and he comfortably reached the safety of 6-5. There were some sloppy returns of serve from Raonic which enabled Tipsarevic to take the set to tie break comfortably. In the Tie Break, Tipsarevic got the mini break and got to 5-4. He took the first set tie break 7-4.

In the very first game of the second set, Tipsarevic saved two break points. Raonic was serving very well and was mostly untroubled on his serve. But he was not in the same comfort when playing for the break of serve. Tipsarevic was playing within himself, not trying to do anything spectacular. Towards the middle of the second set, Raonic reduced the pace of his serve and went for the angles. He served a few aces at 185 kmph wide to the forehand of Tipsarevic from the deuce court. In the eleventh game, Raonic got a double break point but buried the return of serve into the net. This was not a percentage play since Tipsarevic was not serving bombs. Raonic was not playing important points that well. In the next game, Raonic gave a double break point to Tipsarevic, but saved both, one with an ace and other with gutsy net play. The set went to tie break, with Tipsarevic opening the proceedings. Raonic took a mini break on the very first point, but Tipsarevic got it back when Raonic buried the ball into the net. Raonic had been trying to send a high top spin ball to the back hand of Tipsarevic but was over hitting them beyond the side line. This had succeeded against single fisted backhand of Victor Hanescu in the second round, but was not getting executed well today. At 6-3 on his serve, Raonic had to just keep his cool. He squandered the first one burying the ball into the net, but sent an ace at 220 kmph to the backhand of Tipsarevic to take the second set tie break 7-4.

Raonic opened the third set, but had to save a break point in the very first game. Tipsarevic was solid on ground strokes and Raonic was solid on serves. In the fifth game, he fired a second service ace at 189 kmph. Raonic tried to increase his aggression, but tended to hit his ground strokes out. In the eighth game, Raonic got a break point but failed to convert it. Raonic was not returning the serve well. Infact in the subsequent service game of Tipsarevic, he played rather casually and let the opponent go up 40-0 without having to play the return of serve. The basic principle to keep the ball in play was not being adhered to. In the Tie Break, Raonic raised the level of his play, both on the ground strokes as well as on serve. He went up 5-1 at the change over and then got four match points. He won the Tie Break 7-4 to take home the first trophy of 2012. Many more are sure to follow.  

It was a happy new year 2012 for Milos Raonic. It augurs well for the upcoming Australian Open.

Aircel Chennai Open 2012: Milos Raonic Rides First Serves To Cruise Into The Finals

Milos Raonic defeated Nicolas Almagro 6-4 6-4 to storm into the finals of the Aircel Chennai Open, 2012. He will meet Janko Tipsarevic for the title tomorrow.

Almagro and Raonic were cruising with their serve games to reach 3-3. Almagro was serving at reduced pace but wide from the deuce court especially. His ground strokes were solid, though not packed with extraordinary power. Raonic was not avoiding the forehand side of Almagro on first serve and was not predictable as to which side he would go. However, at 3-3, he changed tactics. He started serving to the back hand of Almagro, especially the second serve. Almagro was seen scampering backwards as soon as Raonic hit the ball on the second serve. He was taking the ball 10 feet behind the baseline and sending a high return from backhand. Surprisingly, Raonic did not step into the court after the serve to take an attacking position. This was unlike his second round match against Victor Hanescu. Whether it was the quality of return of Almagro or his own game plan, he preferred to play a comparatively defensive game. However, he never faced any break point in the first set. When he broke Almagro to lead 5-4, he concentrated on sending the first serve in. He sent in three aces and two unreturned serves in the eight points played, just as Almagro made every effort to even the set score. In total he served ten aces in the first set and most of them on crucial points. He played to his strength by sending almost all first serves in and once the set was over 6-4, there was no looking back.

The second set saw Almagro setting more rallies to score points. Raonic was the one who lost more points in the rallies. But on his own serves, he was hardly in trouble.  He was now attacking the backhand of Almagro more than in the first set, but Almagro was not committing many errors from the backhand. However, he could not return winners on the second serve of Raonic. Raonic broke Almagro to go up 5-4. At this point, the nerves took over a bit. He became overanxious to end the points quickly and committed unforced errors to go down 15-40. Just when it looked that Almagro will stage a come back, as he did against Yuichi Sugita in the previous round after trailing by a set, Raonic collected himself and concentrated on serves. He fired two aces and two unretured serves to take the second set 6-4.

He will face Janko Tipsarevic in the finals tomorrow. Tipsarevic is playing error free rallies. He overwhelmed Go Soeda 6-1 6-4 in the other semi-final. But he is not having unplayable shots. It will be an even contest. Even if the ranking favours Tipsarevic, Raonic can cause an upset. Both Raonic and Tipsarevic were favoured by the cheering crowds in their respective matches. It might be a level playing field tomorrow.

Aircel Chennai Open 2012: Milos Raonic Storms Into The Last Four

     Milos Raonic defeated Dudi Sela 7-6 6-3 to storm into the semi-final of Aircel Chennai Open on Friday, January 06, 2012. He had a minor hiccup while serving for the match at 5-2 when he served a double fault at 15-30. However, he served a second service ace at 30-40. The first serve itself was on the line, but Raonic did not utilize his challenge. Thereafter he served well on both points following the deuce and did not need a second match point. He will play the winner of the quarter-final between Yuichi Sugita and Nicolas Almagro.

     It was not as easy a match as against Victor Hanescu whom he beat in the previous round. Dudi Sela played a patient game, not aspiring to do too much from his side. Raonic appeared to be making more unforced errors than in the previous match. The first break of the serve came as late as in the sixth game of the second set. Raonic has a certain maturity where he maintains his composure throughout the match. He did not panic when Sela had a set point in the first set. In the second set, as soon as the break came his way, he was a picture of confidence. Serving around 200 kmph on first serve, he made Sela to remain on back foot throughout. He served 15 aces in the 22 games played.

     Milos Raonic appears to be the man to beat in the Chennai Open.

Aircel Chennai Open 2012: Milos Raonic Is The Danger Man

Milos Raonic has defeated Romanian Victor Hanescu in straight sets 6-1 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals of Chennai Open, 2012. He is seeded fourth with the first three places going to Janko Tipsarevic, Nicolas Almagro and Stanislas Wawrinka. However, if plays to his full potential, it would be difficult for anybody to take him out.

Although Raonic served only nine aces in the 17 games played, Hanescu found his serve difficult to return. Many a time, he served the second serve kicking high on the single fisted backhand of Hanescu. He stepped into the mid-court to hit winners on the short return of Hanescu. Hanescu was not allowed to play the game that won him the first round against Sam Querry. Raonic played all court game - powerful serves, net approach, and baseline rallies. Hanescu found it difficult to find any weakness in Raonic game which could be exploited. The single fisted backhand often crumbled under pressure. The same can happen to matches between Raonic and Almagro / Wawrinka.

Among the young prodigies, Raonic has the best credentials. He has been consistent in his performance in 2011. The quality of his game is such that he can defeat anybody when playing well. It was the hip surgery after Wimbledon that halted his surge in the rankings. He plays with a low net clearance but does not often bury shots into the net. He is able to create angles on both the flanks and the power takes the time away from the opponent. His shots are not like those of other big guys who prefer to play flatter shots. There is enough safety margin for the ball to land within the court. He made much less unforced errors against Hanescu.

Milos Raonic is the danger man in the Chennai Open draw. If he gets confidence here, Australian Open might see his heroics of the last year in greater scale.