Canadian Milos Raonic has secured a place in the Wimbledon 2014 semifinals for the first time after blasting past Nick Kyrgios of Australia on Wednesday with a 6-7, 6-2, 6-4, 7-6. This is Raonic’s first career Slam semifinal and will now face seven-time champion Roger Federer for the place in the final on Friday.
Kyrgios was brimming with confidence after ousting world number one Rafael Nadal in the previous round but couldn’t produce the same performance from that unforgettable performance against Raonic. The match lasted two hours and 24 minutes.
“It hasn’t really sunk in,” Raonic said in a BBC TV interview “It’s great to have that kind of a win, especially at a tournament I’ve always wanted to play so well at and haven’t been able to in recent years.
“It’s another step forward. My goal is to be the best player in the world. This is a step to keep getting better and get the successes that I dreamed of. To do it on such a big stage is really special.”
Raonic, 23, currently has a 24-9 match record this season and he’s aiming to record his first victory over Federer. The Swiss star, winner of 17 Grand Slam titles, has a 4-0 head to head series lead over Raonic.
“I’ve got to do what I’ve been doing: serve well and take care of my serve. It will be a great challenge and one I’m going to relish. I wanted to put myself in this position. I’ve got to go out there and compete hard, give it my all and who knows what can happen,” Raonic said.
Raonic’s semifinal run at a Grand Slam is a first for his home nation since William Johnston at the 1923 US Open. The Canadian reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the French Open where he lost to eventual finalist Novak Djokovic.
