Andy Murray bows out to Milos Raonic in semi-finals – Rakuten Open 2012
Top seed, Andy Murray from Great Britain, was edged out by the Canadian number one, Milos Raonic, in gruelling three sets at the Rakuten Open 2012 on Saturday. He suffered a 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-7(4) loss at the hands of the world number 15 at this ATP (Association
of Tennis Professionals) World Tour 500 Series event held in Tokyo, Japan.
The Olympic gold medallist, Murray made a poor start and lost the opening set. He sought his momentum afterwards but squandered two match points, eventually exiting from the tournament with disappointment. As a result, Raonic not only avenged his loss at
Flushing Meadows but also edged in the FedEx ATP Head 2 Head Series by 2-1 against the Dunblane, Scotland native.
“From my side, I would have liked to have started the match better. That would have helped me,” Murray stated after the match. “But he played well behind his serve, especially in the first couple of sets. That made it tough for me.”
“Here, from the first match, I’ve been more aggressive, have come in as much as I can when I’ve created the opportunities and play under my terms more so than just waiting around,” said the ecstatic Canadian in the post match press conference.
Raonic, who is bidding for his third year-to-date title, thundered into the Ariake Coliseum. He drew the first blood in the opening game and took the initial lead. The Canadian held his composure and not only bagged his remaining serves but cashed another
break chance in the last game, eventually sealing the opener by winning six games to three.
The defending champion re-focused in the proceeding set. He superbly warded off all three breakpoints he faced to keep his entire serves. Murray failed to seek any break opportunity but prevailed in the tie-breaker, subsequently pulling out the equaliser
with a 7-6(5) win.
Ranked third in the world, Murray carried his rhythm towards the final set. He got the desiderated break in the fourth game and jumped to a 4-1 lead. Despite losing his edge in the seventh game, the Brit found two match points in the last game. However,
he not only squandered his chances but trailed in the tie-breaker, eventually enduring a 6-7(4) loss.
Raonic on the other side will square off against eighth seeded Kei Nishikori in the final showdown. The Asian number one stomped over Cyprus’ Marcos Baghdatis in straight sets to set up this final clash.
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