Milos Raonic Tops Pospisil 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4), Makes History and Rogers Cup Final

Much of Montreal was abuzz Saturday with talk of the all-Canadian semifinal at the Rogers Cup and the guarantee of a Canadian finalist in Canada’s Open for the first time since 1958.  The actors in this drama were Milos Raonic of Ontario and Vasek Pospisil of Vancouver. 

The young players have had a long history through the junior ranks.  Head-to-head, Pospisil has the better record, although 22-year-old Raonic has shot up the ATP rankings in the past two years, entering Montreal as the No. 13 player in the world.  Pospisil, 23, is currently ranked No. 71. 

Physically, the competitors were a study in contrasts.  Pospisil has a wiry slender frame and looks shorter than his 6'3", while Raonic at 6’5” and 195 pounds is a lumbering grizzly on the court.  Pospisil sported flashy neon yellow while Raonic wore a muted gray shirt to go with his plain white tennis shoes. 

The crowd at Stade Uniprix was keyed up for the match, and the tournament organizers allowed for a little Canadian pride, draping a large Canadian flag by the net during the coin toss. 

Evidently, the two players were affected by the occasion as well and played a very nervous opening set full of errant groundstrokes and missed opportunities.  Raonic looked the more composed of the two and eventually converted a break point to go up 3-2 in the first set.  Pospisil looked tight on all three of his break chances and dropped the first set, 6-4.  

In the second set, Pospisil put his nerves away and came out much stronger. 

He finally broke Raonic at 1-0, and his confidence began to surge.  He won five of the next six games and stamped an exclamation point on the second set by hitting a remarkable lunging cross-court forehand passing shot on set point to even the match.  Pospisil leapt into the air like a pogo stick and appeared to have all of the momentum heading into the decisive third set.  

During his bathroom break, however, Raonic must have steadied himself because he looked rejuvenated at the start of the third set and began serving like the man who has clocked the fourth-fastest serve of all time. 

He pounded serves at Pospisil, finding an additional 20 km/h of speed somewhere in his strong frame.  The radar gun registered as high as 238 km/h, which is equivalent to 147 mph.  Pospisil hung tough on his service games as well and the two traded body blows, remaining on serve until 6-6.  The crowd saluted each man’s effort with a standing ovation at the start of the deciding third set tiebreak.  

In the tiebreak, the tension in the stadium reached fever pitch. 

Raonic jumped out to a 3-0 lead but tightened up on his next two service points, delivering a double-fault and an 82 mph second serve creampuff to Pospisil.  At 3-3, it was Pospisil who netted a nervous backhand into the net, giving Raonic a 4-3 lead.  Raonic then separated himself by ripping an inside-out forehand on the next point to go up 5-3.  

On match point, Pospisil let it all hang out and attacked the net.  He nailed a swinging volley, but Raonic anticipated the shot and blocked it back to a surprised Pospisil who could not manage to volley it back over the net. 

A relieved Raonic jumped in celebration.  

The win not only earned Raonic a spot in Sunday’s final against Rafael Nadal, but also a spot in the ATP Top 10, making him the first Canadian to reach that summit in the world tennis rankings.