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COUPE ROGERS


August 6, 2013


Milos Raonic


MONTREAL, QUEBEC

M. RAONIC/J. Chardy
6‑3, 4‑6, 7‑5


THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  What are you the most pleased about?
MILOS RAONIC:  Winning.  I think that was very important at the end of the day.  I did a few things well.  I created my opportunities.  He converted on his one opportunity.  I think I did the right thing by staying aggressive.  Going to stick to it.

Q.  Is it difficult at times to stick to it?  Change is never easy.
MILOS RAONIC:  No, it's not.  But at the end of the day we've spoken about it and I'm aware that I need to be able to play this way but better if I want to have chances against top guys.  The only way to improve that is if I keep forcing it.
Yeah, it's tough.  But, for example, I know if I do it 20 more times...  Maybe I make the volley I missed on the first point of the game I got broken, after I came in...  I've just got to keep plugging away.

Q.  When you look at the success of the Canadian players today, top‑ranked male, any nervousness today?
MILOS RAONIC:  No, not because of this.  More so within myself.  I'm very proud and happy for the guys that have been winning today and yesterday.  It's really great to see.
But it doesn't affect myself personally.  It's great to have this kind of good results.  But I got to do and got to take care of my business for myself.

Q.  Do you feel pressure to be mostly the best top Canadian player at the moment?
MILOS RAONIC:  No.  It's always been for me, compare yourself with the best in the world if that's where you want to be.  I've never done by comparing myself to other Canadian players.
Hopefully in the future we have more and more guys in the top and then you do so.  But right now it's really focusing on what I need to do to compete with what people call the top four and these guys.

Q.  You and Novak practiced together.  Are you expecting a match with him?  Do you have any tactics for that possible match?
MILOS RAONIC:  When, in September?

Q.  Maybe in this tournament.
MILOS RAONIC:  I don't even know.  That's beyond my worries.

Q.  There are chances.
MILOS RAONIC:  If the chances arise, I'll have to think about it.  I haven't really thought about it.

Q.  You have a lot of points to defend over the next couple weeks.  Is it more important to get this new style down?
MILOS RAONIC:  Yeah, it is.  Obviously in each situation you want to sort of maximize and get a win out of each situation.  But it's sort of been like the way I've personally stopped and looked at it is like a learning curve, to get better, to be where I want to be.  I might have some disappointing losses and so forth, but I got to stick to what I need to do to achieve the goals I want to achieve.
I think it's been set in my mind with Ivan and so forth that there's one way to do it.  I got to just keep plugging away with that.  Disappointing days, obviously there's going to be those.  Even with the new style, the old style, those are going to happen.  But I got to keep plugging away.

Q.  Basically just be more aggressive, take more advantage of your net play?
MILOS RAONIC:  Take more advantage of the net play.  When the opportunities arise, short balls, go for it.  Don't hesitate.
Today I don't think I missed too many.  But there were a few situations where I wish I could have come forward.  It's about sort of when you do it enough times, you don't miss those because you don't have to think about it, it becomes more instinct.

Q.  Even though you're a seeded player, you're getting a top‑30 player in the second round.  Talk about the tough road you've had so far.
MILOS RAONIC:  Yeah, it's part of these Masters tournaments.  The draws aren't that big.  Very few seeds.  Only 16.  You're going to have to play top guys.
If the top 41 or 42 get in, it's about getting by in those events, getting by each match, trying to be better.  Fortunately today I was able to get through.  Tomorrow gives me a chance to keep doing the things I've been doing.  I believe I can do better.  It gives me that opportunity to do so.
Playing Youzhny, I've played him a long time ago.  It was I think my first top‑10 win for me.  It was a big moment at the Australian Open.  Back then I was playing with no fear, playing aggressive tennis.  Sort of got to go out and do the same thing.

Q.  What do you remember about the Youzhny match at the Australian?
MILOS RAONIC:  I remember when the situations came up, I was really just going for my shots.  I was serving well.  I was executing well after the first ball after the serve.  I was able to get some critical breaks.
The main thing I did there was I took care of my serve and I sort of squeezed out a breaker or two throughout the match, played well in the tiebreaks.  Sort of these kind of things.
The best thing I think I did in that situation, I stayed levelheaded, didn't get upset.

Q.  The González crowd four years ago, any similarity tonight?
MILOS RAONIC:  Yeah, I think you saw it mostly in the tough situations.  That's sort of where it came out.  But I think it's a little bit different.  Back then it was so new to me.  I think it seems so much more grand.  I think there were many more people watching the match today.  I think I've gotten a bit more used to it.  But it's still great to have that kind of support.

Q.  It was a great serving match tonight.  How did you manage to get Love‑40 in the last game of the match?  He was serving well all game long.
MILOS RAONIC:  Yeah, I had my opportunities.  The game before that, I think I missed an opportunity to come in.  I missed the forehand just wide to give me a Love‑40 opportunity earlier.  Then he served a few good points.
So I was there the whole time.  But fortunately he gave me an error and I was able to put a few points together, just put the pressure on him.

Q.  Was it a big advantage to serve first in the third set?
MILOS RAONIC:  When there's a tiebreaker in question, I don't think it really matters.  The only thing is you don't have to back up your serve after when you serve first, if you break at 4‑5, per se.  In a tiebreak, the final set, I don't think it really matters too much.

Q.  A difficult start to the season.  Do you feel back in your element being back on the hard courts?
MILOS RAONIC:  Yeah.  For me it's very comfortable and it's very worry‑free.  I don't have to worry about how to adjust my game depending on the court and so forth.  I know how to play on the surface.  I just have to focus on my game, what I need to do well, not which ways I need to change it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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