Andy Murray is only too familiar with the position Milos Raonic finds himself in on Sunday in the championships match at Wimbledon.
Until he lifted the 2012 US Open trophy, Murray had long borne the expectation of a nation desperate for Grand Slam glory. The Scot has since become one of Britain’s greatest ever sportsmen and will play for his second Wimbledon crown and third major trophy on Sunday.
Raonic, meanwhile, is looking to make history for his country as the first Canadian man to win a Grand Slam singles title.
While the 25-year-old Raonic is playing his first Grand Slam final – after overcoming seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer in the semi-finals – Murray will play his 11th major title match and hopes that his experience could prove pivotal.
“I hope that’s an advantage,” said Murray, who became the first British male in 77 years to triumph at Wimbledon when he beat Djokovic in the 2013 final.
“When I played my first one (at the 2008 US Open), it all came round really quickly for me. I played the semi-final over two days against Rafa, then went straight into the final the following day. It just didn’t feel like there was loads of time to sort of settle down and sort of prepare for it. I remember it went by fairly quickly.
“I didn’t feel so nervous before that one maybe because there wasn’t as much time to get ready for it. But playing a slam final obviously is different. There’s a little bit more riding on the match. That’s what makes these events special.”
Murray has a 2-8 record in major finals, losing his past three efforts at the Australian Open and Roland Garros this year and at the Australian Open in 2015. All three of those losses came at the hands of World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who suffered a shock third-round defeat to Sam Querrey at Wimbledon.
Indeed, it will be the first time that Murray will compete in a Grand Slam final against someone other than Djokovic or Federer. “That’s different,” said Murray. “But you never know how anyone’s going to deal with the pressures of a slam final. So just have to go out there and concentrate on my side, do what I can to prepare well for it and see what happens.”
The match will be a repeat of the Aegon Championships final, which saw Raonic let slip a set and a break lead before succumbing to Murray. Murray, now on an 11-match winning streak going into the Wimbledon final, leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head 6-3, winning his past five clashes with the Canadian.
Reflecting on their final at The Queen’s Club, Murray said, “It helps to have played a match against him on the grass and see some of the things he’s doing on this surface a little bit differently.
Watch Queen’s Final Highlights
“The thing that stands out for me was the return winner I hit on the break point at 3-1 to get back into the match. That was the turning point really. He hadn’t lost serve the whole week. Came up with that return, the match changed from there. Obviously Milos has got a fantastic serve. So returning his serve is important.
“Milos is a very tough opponent,” continued the Scot. “He’s played very well on the grass this year and has earned his right to the final by beating one of the best, if not the best player, ever at this event. So he deserves to be there.”
History is on the line for Raonic when he steps onto Centre Court at 2pm on Sunday. The Toronto native is looking to become the fourth man in the Open Era to win his first grass-court title at Wimbledon, joining Djokovic (2011), Andre Agassi (1992) and Michael Stich (1991). He would also become the first player outside of the ‘Big Four’ to win the Wimbledon title since Lleyton Hewitt triumphed in 2002.
The right-hander, who added John McEnroe to his coaching team for the grass-court season, battled his way through to his first major final after rallying from a two-sets-to-one deficit against Federer, defeating a Top 10 player on grass for the first time. The Canadian had also recovered from a two-set deficit against David Goffin in the fourth round.
Read Raonic Vs. Federer Report
“It’s a pretty special feeling for myself,” said Raonic. “But I think it’s a pretty special recognition to the state of Canadian tennis. It’s great to sort of be at the front and centre of that come Sunday. I’m glad that I’ve sort of been leading this charge, the first one to break through and really put these things together.
“But I’m by no means done.
“I felt I was doing a lot of things well [coming into Wimbledon]. I was putting the pieces together. I was just hoping they would make some good music for me at that point. It’s come together nicely. There’s obviously been bumps throughout this week. I’ve overcome a lot of different things. Those things have made me stronger. Now I have an even bigger tool set to face that challenge on Sunday than I did a few Sundays ago [against Murray].”
Indeed, Raonic is not content to make up the numbers in the final. The Canadian is adamant he came to the All England Club with one goal – to win the tournament. It is a mentality that has been pivotal in taking him to the final, believes his coach, Carlos Moya.
“[Milos’ mentality] has been the most important thing. To get to the final of a slam you have to come through very difficult situations, like he was in against Goffin and yesterday. He kept fighting and mentally he has been very strong. We are putting a lot of work into that. Tennis-wise we know what his weapons are and how well he’s playing, but mentally he kept fighting a lot and it’s paying off.
“Tomorrow he can’t slow down, not even a bit, mentally. We know how tough Andy is and what a good fighter he is. Milos has the weapons to hurt Andy, like we saw at Queen’s. It’s about being aggressive, serving well and he will have his chances. He’s ready for it.”
Watch: Raonic Making A Champion
Speaking about the effect former World No. 1 Moya has had on his game, Raonic said, “He’s been a great influence. He’s helped me a lot with understanding how I need to go about things, what I need to get out of myself, whether that be through trial and error or through discussion.
“Obviously that’s been my biggest asset through this tournament and through the Queen’s tournament, especially after I finished off in Paris a bit disappointed. It’s been a great asset for me. It’s what’s helped me be as successful as I have over the past few weeks. It’s definitely the biggest step forward I’ve made.”
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