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Milos Raonic came back from two sets down, for the very first time in his career, to overcome an unexpected fourth round challenge from the No.11 seed David Goffin.
The Canadian – tipped as a Wimbledon contender on the strength of his runner-up spot at Queen’s last month – could not inflict sufficient damage with his serve throughout the first two sets on No.2 Court. Looking uninspired, the 2014 semi-finalist was in dire trouble.
Just after he broke in the third, the match was interrupted by rain for 21 minutes. But Raonic, the No.6 seed, held it together in that set and the next, even when new coach John McEnroe was obliged to depart his courtside seat to fulfil his BBC commentary duties elsewhere.
By then the Canadian was producing the performance observers anticipated before this match began. Goffin had his chances, but Raonic ultimately surged back to win 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in three hours and two minutes. He will face Novak Djokovic’s conqueror, Sam Querrey, for a place in the last four.
“I allowed him to play too much on his terms, and I had to take that away from him,” admitted Raonic afterwards, before discussing his new coach’s exit mid-match, and the need to shoe-horn any pep-talks around McEnroe’s broadcasting obligations.
I'm out there playing by myself. Nobody can win those points for me
“It’s OK. I understood what we were getting into when I asked him to help me. You know, I’m out there playing by myself. Nobody can win those points for me. But he’s enforcing things for me, talking about my attitude on court – telling me to impose myself more, make sure the other guy knows you’re there. I saw him just now because he finished his commentating responsibility for the day, and he’ll be there for practice tomorrow because we practise before he has any matches to call.”
To many, Djokovic’s departure opened the door for the Canadian more than anyone else left in the draw. It is only 15 days since his performance as runner-up at Queen’s seemed to show a new serenity in his game – he was returning more effectively and displaying improved ability at the net. It wasn’t hard to devise a reason for the sudden depth in his tennis, as his partnership with McEnroe began that week.
Yet during the first two sets of his match against Goffin, there was not only scant sign of the new dimensions to his game, but too little from the serve which is of course the backbone of all he has achieved to date. But as much as Raonic had to come back from two sets down to earn the win, once the match was into the decider Goffin was also into uncharted Wimbledon territory – despite nine previous visits to The Championships between them, neither had ever played a five-setter in SW19.
The 25-year-old Belgian, however, should have had no fear of going the distance, as he was on a five-match streak in five-setters coming into this match. Goffin had his chances, but by the final set, Raonic was carving out more winners. At 2-2 he passed Goffin at the net for 0-40, and when he forced a backhand error for the critical break, he let out a yelp of affirmation. So… Querrey next.
