home jobs contact us
Our Clients:
Browse by Sport
Find us on ASAP sports on Facebook ASAP sports on Twitter
ASAP Sports RSS Subscribe to RSS
Click to go to
Asaptext.com
ASAPtext.com
ASAP Sports e-Brochure View our
e-Brochure

MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAú


March 24, 2017


Milos Raonic


Miami, Florida

M. RAONIC/V. Troicki

6-3, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Considering your first match back in what, 27 days, how do you assess against a quality opponent?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, (indiscernible) was its own difficulty. Obviously today's conditions weren't ideal as well. I have to be very happy with just the outcome, that I was able to get the win today, that I have another chance to play in two days.

Hopefully I can continue to progress throughout this tournament.

Q. Do you believe in match toughness and match rustiness? If so, how you managing every time you come back from a layoff to look as if you were never really away?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, well, for me, I've always been the kind of person that gets the confidence through the work rather than matches, constant matches.

So I've been fortunate in that sense, because I've had to numerous times skip little periods of time. This time it's a little bit more difficult, because after the last injury preceding the Australian Open I was out; got into shape, not the best shape; and then got hurt shortly after and then I was out again.

So I had a little bit of compounding of maybe losing my shape. But I've put in the work that I can. I've prepared the best I can for this tournament. I'm not necessarily in the best position right now, but fortunately it's a long tournament. Doesn't mean things can't change and I can't get better throughout this event.

Q. Two-tiered question. First, how hard it is to attack the net in these conditions? And secondly, do you think it's an advantage because not many guys are attacking the net so opponents can be thrown off?
MILOS RAONIC: I think it's difficult in these situations coming forward, but I also think it's difficult passing when the pressure is against you.

So I think it comes sort of from both sides. I think it's something you can use, but you have to make sure that you're still coming in behind quality shots, which sometimes may be hard to get off.

I think the main thing is you might get into the position where you don't want to miss and you become a little bit too passive. You try to come in behind that, and most of the guys at this level will blow the ball by you pretty consistent regardless of the wind or not.

Q. Just off the match for a second, I was wondering as a guy who has had some chronic injury issues of late, will the Davis Cup proposal to reduce matches to the best-of-three rather than best-of-five make you more likely to consider it? Something you can fit into your schedule?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, Davis Cup has always fit into my schedule. The times I've been missing it hasn't been because of injury. But if it you ask what I would prefer, the shorter matches is definitely something I would speak up for, yeah.

Q. And the coaching scenario. Is Krajicek's inclusion primarily with Wimbledon in mind, or does he plan to travel more weeks?
MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Obviously it's been hard to judge, but he was supposed to be here for Indian Wells, with me this week, so it would've been already throughout this year quite a few weeks.

So it has no one specific tournament in mind. It has the goal of general improvement in what I need to do to get closer to my goals.

Q. Is Jesse Levine another addition to the team?
MILOS RAONIC: Well, this week obviously we came down here early. He was helping out. We're open to working together through a few weeks throughout the year to sort of fill out what I feel I need to get better.

He's somebody that I get along with great, is a little bit closer to my age as well, and somebody that I can play with on court and put in hard hours with as well.

Q. About the hamstring, did you feel any kind of smidge of anything out there today?
MILOS RAONIC: Nothing specifically with that injury. Just a little bit of tightness around the hip in general. Nothing with that specifically.

Q. So a normal day for you?
MILOS RAONIC: I hope that can change; but yes.

Q. For Jesse, did you approach him? Did he approach you to help out? What's the scenario with that?
MILOS RAONIC: The idea came from my agent. He was working with Jesse towards the end of his career. He said he thought it would be a good way of having somebody there that could help me put in hours on court also without having to necessarily chase players; where I can have practice more dictated around me and somebody that I knew well and got along with well and a guy that's a stand-up character as well.

Q. How do you see the year so far with Novak not having his stellar year by his standards and Roger back in the mix? Is it a re-org at the top, or how do you see it?
MILOS RAONIC: Oh, I think it's just like an opening. I think Roger stepped up and he's played some great tennis. He's really stepped up.

Obviously Novak hasn't been at his best, Andy hasn't been at his best, so it's been Roger's year so far. But at the same time, it's a year that's long. Andy, throughout these two tournaments last year, didn't play so well, and then all of a sudden he gets on a very strong tear throughout clay, grass, and finishes the season and the year No. 1.

So there is plenty more tennis to be played, as I'm sure everybody is well aware of and guys are working towards.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP sports

tech 129
About ASAP SportsFastScripts ArchiveRecent InterviewsCaptioningUpcoming EventsContact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297