World No. 3 Milos Raonic was left wondering whether one member of the press corps was fully engaged at the top of his pre-tournament Australian Open press conference in Melbourne Saturday. The Canadian was expecting to be asked about the addition of Richard Krajicek, but he was unprepared for how it went down.
Here’s the first question of the media conference:
Q. Why did you change your coach to Krajicek?
MILOS RAONIC: It was just a timing of how things went. I feel like for me to make the steps I want, especially forward, specifically with that focus, you have these two guys that move very well laterally. I don’t think I’m ever going to be the best guy from the baseline by any means, especially not against them. If I’m going to take it to them, it’s by coming forward. So I wanted to improve in that aspect.
But, here’s where it got weird. Second question…
Q. Why did you add Richard Krajicek to your staff?
MILOS RAONIC: That’s the same exact question.
Ever the gentleman, Raonic at least made the best of the situation, expanding on his original answer. His focus on moving forward is designed in part to improve his record against Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, the two players who have stopped him at the Australian Open the past two years.
“No, it’s really to help me be more efficient going forward. I believe you have these two guys that are phenomenal right now at the top of the game covering the baseline. It’s really hard to get by them, especially with the way they move. I can’t expect to move like they do. I think I’ve got to be at least 20, 25 pounds heavier than them. It’s going to be about moving forward.
“I think Richard could really help me in being more aggressive, more forward orientated, and more efficient when I’m able to get myself coming in.”
Raonic finished 2016 at a career-high No. 3 in the Emirates ATP Rankings after a strong showing at the ATP Finals in London, where he pushed Novak Djokovic to 7-6, 7-6 in the group stage and held match point against Andy Murray in the semi-finals. But after pushing Murray to five sets in the Melbourne semi-finals last year, Raonic has 720 points dropping after the Australian Open and is under pressure to stay ahead of No. 4 Stan Wawrinka and No. 5 Kei Nishikori.
Raonic, who fell to Grigor Dimitrov in his title defence in Brisbane in the first week of the season, will play shotmaker Dustin Brown in the first round.
| Australian Open 2017 |
|---|
| Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne Dates: 16-29 January |
| Coverage: Live commentary every day on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra plus TV highlights on BBC Two from 21 January; live text on selected matches on the BBC Sport website. |
Serena Williams says she will not be distracted by the thought of moving ahead of Steffi Graf’s Grand Slam record at the Australian Open.
The American world number two, 36, needs one major triumph to go clear of the German’s 22 Open-era titles.
The six-time champion played down the attention on the record, saying she was “just here to play and win”.
She faces unseeded 19-year-old Swiss Belinda Bencic in the first round in Melbourne on Tuesday.
The all-time Grand Slam record is held by Australian Margaret Court, whose 24 titles spanned the amateur and Open era.
Williams’ only major victory in 2016 was at Wimbledon. She won the first three Slams in 2015 before a shock US Open semi-final exit to unseeded Roberta Vinci as she tried to emulate Graf’s 1988 ‘calendar slam’
She said it is difficult to deal with the level of expectation on her.
“It’s never easy for me. All I can do is do my best,” she said.
“I didn’t come here to lose in the first round or the second round, or at all.”
Bencic, 19, said she was “super-pumped” to face Williams.
“My first reaction was actually really happy. So I think I’m excited I get to play on the big court, I guess,” said Bencic.
“Everyone is like, ‘Oh, bad luck with the draw’. Me, I’m pretty happy and excited about it.”
British number one Johanna Konta, 25, has had the perfect preparation for the first Grand Slam of 2017, winning her second WTA title in Sydney on Friday.
The Australia-born world number 10, who will move up to number nine on Monday, did not drop a set all week as she marched through a high-class field, eventually beating Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 6-2 in the final.
She faces Belgian Kirsten Flipkens in the first round as she looks to better her 2016 Australian Open performance where she reached the semi-finals.
British number two Heather Watson, 24, faces Australian Sam Stosur, who has never gone beyond the fourth round in front of her home fans.
“I look forward to playing Sam. She’s a great player with an all-round game,” said Watson.
“All the talk will be about her playing in front of her home crowd but I just want to focus on myself and play my game as best as I can.
“I’m feeling healthy, fit and ready to go now.”
Fellow Briton Naomi Broady also faces an Australian opponent in Daria Gavrilova, ranked 25th in the world.
Defending champion and world number one Angelique Kerber returns to Melbourne in shaky form, having lost in the second round at the Sydney International last week.
The German faces Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko, ranked 61st, in the first match of Monday’s night session.
Tsurenko took Kerber to three sets in their only previous meeting.
If both players progress, Kerber could face French Open champion Garbine Muguruza in the quarter-finals.
Victoria Azarenka, Petra Kvitova and Madison Keys are all notable absentees from this year’s tournament, providing an open and unpredictable draw.
Tiafoe, Escobedo, Rubin, Opelka among the qualifiers
A slew of American #NextGenATP stars have successfully advanced into the main draw of the Australian Open, with Frances Tiafoe, Noah Rubin, Reilly Opelka and Ernesto Escobedo taking their spot among the 16 final-round qualifying winners on Saturday.
Second seed Tiafoe survived a marathon 3-6, 6-0, 7-5 match against fellow American Tim Smyczek. Both players held serve throughout the final set until Tiafoe finally broke Smyczek in the last game to wrap up the win. This is the first time that the 18-year-old has come through qualifying at a Grand Slam.
In an all-teen battle, Opelka came through 7-6(4) 6-3 against Norwegian Casper Ruud to secure his first Grand Slam main draw appearance. The American reached his first ATP World Tour semi-final last August in Atlanta and has jumped over 600 spots in the Emirates ATP Rankings over the past six months.
No. 21 seed Escobedo rallied from a set down to defeat Yuki Bhambri of India, 6-7(2), 6-2, 6-4, while Rubin scored an emphatic 6-2, 6-4 win over Evgeny Donskoy of Russia. This is the first time that both Escobedo and Rubin have qualified for a Grand Slam.
Other players to prevail on Saturday include #NextGenATP star Andrey Rublev of Russia, and former Top 10 players Radek Stepanek and Jurgen Melzer. Stepanek was the top seed in qualifying.
Those who qualified will be hoping to land in the all-qualifier matchup in the opening round of the main draw, while the least ideal placement would see them take on No. 17 seed and four-time champion Roger Federer.
| Australian Open 2017 |
|---|
| Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne Dates: 16-29 Jan |
| Coverage: Live commentary every day on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra plus TV highlights on BBC Two from 21 January; live text on selected matches on the BBC Sport website. Play begins at 00:00 GMT |
Britain’s Andy Murray says he needs to continue to improve if he is to remain world number one.
The 29-year-old Wimbledon champion replaced Novak Djokovic at the top of the rankings at the end of 2016.
Murray returns to Grand Slam action at the Australian Open in Melbourne next week, where he has been runner-up on five occasions.
“The reality is, in sport, that things obviously keep moving on, the game will get better,” the Scot said.
“I’ll obviously get older, the young guys will continue to improve, and also Novak, Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Rafa Nadal and all the guys at the top are still going to be wanting to get there.
“I need to continue to improve. I for sure need to keep working hard.”
Murray’s first-round match against unseeded Ukrainain Illya Marchenko is scheduled third on Monday on Rod Laver Arena, following Simona Halep v Shelby Rogers and Kateryna Kozlova v Venus Williams.
Play begins at 00:00 GMT.
Murray’s successful 2016 – in which he also became Wimbledon champion for the second time and defended his Olympic title – ended with him being awarded a knighthood in the Queen’s New Year Honours list.
But he says he has not been treated any differently by his fellow competitors.
“It kind of happened for me right at the end of the year, so I haven’t been on the Tour much as the number one player,” said Murray.
“So I haven’t noticed it yet. I don’t know if that will come over time, if I’m able to stay there or not.”
Murray was also asked about Michael Downey’s resignation as chief executive of the Lawn Tennis Association after only three years in the role.
He said it was “disappointing” and another example of short-term thinking at the top of British tennis.
“I think for a system that – maybe everyone would say – has not really worked for quite a long time, for change to happen you need someone, or a team, in there that’s going to be in it for the long haul and not just a few years,” he added.
Despite winning 17 Grand Slam titles, including four in Australia, Roger Federer said he was “clearly an underdog” in Melbourne.
“Yeah, why not for a change? I mean, I prefer to be the favourite. Underdog is OK,” said Federer, who could meet Murray in the quarter-finals should they both progress.
The 35-year-old, who is returning from a six-month knee injury lay-off, is seeded 17th and will play veteran Austrian Jurgen Melzer, 35, who came through qualifying.
Federer v Melzer is the final match of day one on Rod Laver Arena.
Second seed Djokovic starts the defence of his Australian Open title against former world number seven Fernando Verdasco of Spain, but will do so without the guidance of former coach Boris Becker, with whom he split late last year.
Djokovic, 29, would not be drawn on comments made by the German, in which he said the Serb had dropped his intensity in training which had contributed to a loss of form.
“We’ve had amazing success. It’s all I can say. I don’t want to go back and comment on anything,” said Djokovic, who is looking for record seventh Australian Open crown.
“I kept a very friendly relationship with Boris. We just went separate ways.”
Britain’s Jamie Murray and Brazilian partner Bruno Soares lost to Dutch duo Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop in the final of the Sydney International.
Murray and Soares won the title last year in only their second tournament as a doubles pairing.
But the top seeds were beaten 6-3 7-5 on Saturday, as Koolhof and Middelkoop won a third ATP trophy.
British number three Dan Evans will face Gilles Muller from Luxembourg in the singles final at 08:30 GMT.
Evans, the world number 67, is playing in his first ATP Tour final.
Elsewhere, American world number 23 Jack Sock won the final of the Auckland Classic with a 6-3 5-7 6-3 victory over Portugal’s Joao Sousa.
Sock’s victory comes after he was forced to retire because of illness in last year’s final against Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut.
Belgian qualifier Elise Mertens beat Romanian third seed Monica Niculescu to win the Hobart International for her first WTA title.
The 21-year-old, ranked 127 in the world, lost nine of her first 10 points before taking control to beat world number 40 Niculescu 6-3, 6-1.
The tournaments build up to the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open in Melbourne, which begins on Monday.
Fourth seeds Marcin Matkowski and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi captured the ASB Classic crown with a 1-6, 6-2, 10-3 win over Jonathan Erlich and Scott Lipsky on Saturday.
Erlich and Lipsky quickly claimed the first set after 23 minutes, but the eventual champions fired up for a comeback, breaking early in the second set for a 1-0 lead. The Polish/Pakistani duo capitalised on all three break point chances in their 61-minute victory.
Matkowski and Qureshi topped Ryan Harrison and John Isner 7-6(4), 6-1 in the first round, beat Santiago Gonzalez and David Marrero 6-4, 3-6, 11-9 in the quarter-finals and defeated Marcus Daniell and Marcelo Demoliner 6-4, 6-4 for a final berth.
“I’m really happy with our performances throughout the week and especially the way we found our way back into the matches and to win the title,” said Qureshi. “I’m really happy and proud with the way we handled the pressure and the situations in all of the matches.”
“Obviously it was a great partnership for us so we couldn’t ask for anything else and hopefully we’ll have good luck in Melbourne for each of us and then we can play some more tournaments after,” added Matkowski.
The 35-year-old Matkowski is now 18-28 in ATP World Tour finals, while Qureshi, age 36, improves to 12-16. As champions, they will split $24,380 and 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points.
Unseeded duo Erlich and Lipsky, who upset second seeds Dominic Inglot and Florin Mergea en route to the final, will split $12,820 and 150 Emirates ATP Rankings points.