The National’s Sport cover for the Tuesday, January 26 issue, featuring Milos Raonic as he reached the Australian Open quarter-finals.
Raonic nearly collapsed after going 2-0 up against Stan Wawrinka, but Ahmed Rizvi writes of a new Raonic who composed himself and finished the victory
“He has a really sharp tennis brain and then he has a burning determination to succeed, and both were on exhibit at the Australian Open on Monday.
“Facing Stan Wawrinka, that utterly explosive but unpredictable member of the now ‘Big Five’ club, for a place in the last eight, Raonic cruised to a comfortable two-sets-to-nil lead before the real Wawrinka showed up and, with a blitz of winners, took the match into the deciding fifth.
“Raonic kept his calm. A day earlier, in a post on Instagram, he had written: “The bigger the challenge, the bigger the opportunity. Now face that challenge with your strengths, and a mind full of fight and belief.”
“Of course, he did just that, putting pressure on Wawrinka with some crisp net play before breaking him in the sixth game to take charge. A few minutes later, he was pumping his fists after an easy put away at the net for a 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-3 win – his first against Wawrinka in five attempts.”
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