TennisGrandStand

You are here: Home / Archives for canadian tennis

canadian tennis

Getting to know Milos Raonic – the ATPs new top 20 player

by

By Lisa-Marie Burrows

Milos Raonic is Canada's big hope after breaking into the top 20 for the first time. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

This week, Canadian Milos Raonic has been a continuous feature in tennis discussions this week after breaking into the top 20 of the ATP rankings for the first time in his career. The 21-year-old young gun moved up five spots to secure his No. 19 place, thanks to his quarter-final appearance at the Rogers Cup in Toronto last week.
Many have predicted great things for the rising star, speculating on whether he will be a future Grand Slam champion, on his ability to break into the top 10 or even break up the mold that has bound the top 5 players so tightly in recently years, but this achievement is something which no Canadian singles players has managed to do before. He is enjoying being on the court; he is living the dream and he still has a lot more to give. Here is a little bit of information and fun facts about the Canadian hero that many may not know about:
Who is Milos Raonic?
Milos Raonic was born Podgorica, Montenegro, in the former Yugoslavia just before Serbia became an independent country and he moved to Canada at the age of 3-years old. He did not begin playing tennis until he was 8-years old and whilst growing up his hero was Pete Sampras. It seems as though he suddenly exploded on the tennis scene from nowhere after enjoying a very successful 2011. He rocketed up the rankings from No.156 at the end of 2010 to a year-end ranking of No.31 in 2011. The 6’5” player is infamous for his booming serves and possesses an all-court style of play. He has won three career titles – his first in San Jose in 2011, which he successfully defended again this year and he has also won on the hard courts of Chennai.
How much does Raonic remember of his Serbian roots?
Milos moved to Canada with his family because of the war that continued in between the surrounding nations. Milos has said before that he doesn’t remember anything about his homeland except for one bad memory that has always stayed with him – the time when he was stung by a bee on his finger when he was 4-years old.
His super serve
When you hear the name ‘Milos Raonic’ you automatically think: big serve. As a child his father made him train with a ball machine at 6:30am and 9:00pm and those early morning starts and workouts seemed to have put him in good stead as a player. He rarely shows aggression on court (apart from when he is serving or during a rally) and emulates the speed and finesse of his hero’s service motion, Pete Sampras.
Making his mark
Milos Raonic made his mark in the tennis world after he won his first ATP Tour title at the SAP Open in San Jose beating the then-ranked world No.9 player, Fernando Verdasco. It was a very special moment for the Canadian and indeed for Canada, as it was the first time a Canadian tennis player won an ATP title since 1995. After this victory, Milos earned a lot of attention from the media – and particularly the Canadian media – which is something he has had to learn to deal with. Very much like Andy Murray and his British expectations, Raonic has expressed how he hopes that it will benefit and influence the juniors who are up and coming in Canada.
Fast Facts
• Raonic plays with a double-handed backhand
• He can speak Serbian and English
• He moved to Canada when he was 3-years old.
• Both of his parents (Dusan and Vesna) are engineers.
• He has a sister called Jelena, and a brother, Momir
• Raonic first picked up a racquet aged 8-years old.
• His favourite surface to play on is on the quick-paced hard courts.
• He confessed that when he was younger, his dad used to make him train with a ball machine early in the morning and at night as they were cheaper to hire during those times.
• Raonic enjoys watching movies and talking to family on Skype when he’s away.
• Raonic is a big fan of football (soccer) and his favourite team is Real Madrid.
• The Canadian has the correct height to be a basketball player and he supports Toronto Raptors.
• His tennis hero as a child was fourteen-time Grand Slam champion ‘Pistol’ Pete Sampras and he admitted that he recorded his matches that were shown on tv.
• He is coached by former ATP pro Galo Blanco (since October 2010)
• His ultimate goal? To remain consistently in the top 50 and break into the top 10.
Milos Raonic’s rise in the rankings has been documented by the ATP World Tour Uncovered, which you can watch using the video below.

Rejuvenated Wozniak is Dreaming Olympic Big

by

Aleksandra Wozniak is back in the mix

Following a tumultuous two seasons that were mired by injuries and coaching uncertainty, former world no.21 Aleksandra Wozniak has shown Top 25 form this season and is making her way back up the rankings with a renewed passion for her sport.
Wozniak became the first Canadian in 20 years to win a WTA singles title when she was crowned champion at Stanford in 2008 and appeared to destined to contend for titles for many years to come. Now 24 years old and with her hardships a thing of the past, the Wozniak hitting the court is definitely the 2.0 version. After finishing the 2011 season ranked outside the Top 100, she came into the off-season  100 percent healthy for the first time in a while. Wozniak took up boxing to improve her strength and agility. Her hard work is paying dividends so far in 2012.
Wozniak has also brought her father, Antoni back in the fold as her full-time coach. He introduced her to tennis when she was three years old and is the master technician behind her smooth strokes. Wozniak appreciates having her recently retired Dad around every day to work on the little things.
“ I am able to take my Dad on the road with me which is tremendous and makes a big difference because he can always keep improving my game,” Wozniak said. “He sees things right away and those little details make a big difference in my game. I think I’m pretty close to where I was, but I think I am coming back differently and stronger than before.”
Wozniak has improved her ranking by more than 50 places since the start of the season and finds herself ranked firmly inside the Top 60 again. Perhaps most impressive though is the kind of matches she is winning, the long, exhausting type. Matches she would have never been able to win earlier in her career. Wozniak has also played the top players very tough, losing 7-5 in the third to Agnieszka Radwanska in Dubai and dropping a third set tiebreak to Venus Williams in Miami after holding a match point.
She is battling and fighting harder than ever with one lifelong dream motivating her every move, representing Canada at this summer’s Olympic Games in London. At no. 56 on the world rankings and with few points to defend until Roland-Garros, Wozniak has put herself in a good position to earn an Olympic berth.
“As an athlete, to know you made it to the Olympics, I can’t even describe it,” Wozniak added. “For me it’s very important to represent my country the best that I can. It’s a big privilege to represent Canada at the  greatest sporting event in the world. For any athlete it is very special and it would be really exciting.”
Not only is Wozniak a transformed player, but she’s also a different person. Physically, she looks better than  ever and her renewed confidence is evident in the way she carries herself. Her likeable, radiant personality makes it easy to root for the talent Canadian and  It will be fun to watch her rise back to the upper echelon of the women’s game. Wozniak is certainly not a name any player will want to see opposite their own in the draw, especially on Wozniak’s favourite surface during the clay court season.

Milos Raonic Talks About Biggest Fear, Pete Sampras, and Good-Looking Girls

by


REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity

Milos Raonic stands fervent among a slew of young ATP players hoping to break into the top 10 of the world rankings this year. At 21-years-old, this Canadian has stood as a gauge of what the next generation of tennis players has to offer. Today at the Sony Ericsson Open, I had the opportunity to catch up with Milos and ask him some fan-friendly questions, including what he would be if he weren’t a tennis player and what three tennis players would he want to party with. Always honest and friendly, his answers are sure to leave you laughing!
What is the greatest moment in your career?
Winning San Jose and then defending it.  First title, and then being able to back it up is amazing.
If you weren’t a tennis player, what would you be?
I would be trying to play basketball. I love the sport. But I think really I would be finishing University.
If you could play against any player in history, who would it be and why?
Pete Sampras, he was my idol. I got to play him actually last year. But any other player I would like to play? (Pause) McEnroe or Borg because it’s a big change since they played and I think it would be amazing to step up against them.
If you’re hosting a party, what three tennis players do you invite?
Feliciano Lopez. (Smiles) He’ll bring a lot of good-looking girls.
Daniel Nestor, he’s funny and we like to tease him a bit. He’s not the biggest partier, but he’s fun to have around.
And the third player that I would pick to party with? (Long pause, converses and jokes with ATP rep). Oh, Marat Safin. He’ll bring a lot more good-looking girls too. (Laughs)
What is one thing that scares you?
(Long pause) Ok, let’s say, the biggest thing that scares me is probably being stranded in open water.

Canadian Tennis Roots Run Deeper than Raonic

by

Milos Raonic is the face of Canadian tennis

It would seem that the emergence of Milos Raonic as a bona fide rising star on the ATP World Tour has inspired success from his fellow Canadian tennis compatriots at all levels of the game and this was put on full display last week.
While Raonic was trying to win his second consecutive title in Memphis, Canadians were collecting hardware all over the world. After losing  the 2011 final to Andy Roddick, Raonic once again the runner-up in Memphis, falling to Jurgen Melzer in the championship match on Sunday, one week after repeating in San Jose. This run has propelled him to a career-high ranking of no. 24.
Prior to Raonic stepping on court for the singles final, Daniel Nestor and Max Mirnyi successfully defended their Memphis doubles title thanks to a 4-6, 7-5, 10-7 win over Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo. The victory is the pair’s second title of 2012 and the fourth trophy triumph for Nestor in Memphis. The Canadian tennis legend also captures doubles title no. 77 in his illustrious career.
Meanwhile, on the ITF Pro Circuit, Steven Diez and Peter Polansky both won their first Futures titles of the year. Diez won the $10,000 Murcia Futures event in Spain, defeating Pedro Sousa of Portugal 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the final. For his part, Polansky was crowned champion of the $15,000 Brownsville Futures in Texas thanks to a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Great Britain’s Daniel Cox on the title match. Polansky lost 18 games in five matches.
Sixteen-year-old Erin Routliffe, whose style of play is drawing comparisons to her compatriot Rebecca Marino, left Canada at the beginning of the month for a four-week South American clay court swing ranked no. 450 on the ITF junior rankings. She returns Monday ranked inside the Top 100 following a successful four tournament run. Routliffe played four Grade 2 events, reaching the semifinals in Peru, the quarter-finals in Bolivia, the final in Chile and concluding the run with another championship match appearance on Saturday at the Argentina Cup. This means there are now four Canadian girls ranked inside the Top 100 on the ITF world junior rankings.
Not to be outdone, Montrealer Félix Auger-Aliassime became the first Canadian boy  to capture the Open Super 12 in Auray, France, one of the most prestigious U12 events on the tennis calendar.
While Raonic is getting all of the attention, the impact of his new status within the sport is being felt everywhere in the tennis world and especially in Canada. Just ask any player who represents the Maple Leaf when they walk on the court.