Raonic routs Murray in Barcelona upset

AFP/Barcelona

Canadian tennis player Milos Raonic returns the ball to Scottish Andy Murray during the Conde Godo tennis tournament quarter-final match played in Barcelona yesterday. Raonic won 6-4 and 7-6 (3). (EPA)

Canadian Milos Raonic handed second seed Andy Murray a clay-court humiliation yesterday as the big-hitting youngster hammered the Scot 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) to reach the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open yesterday.Murray was to have been Raonic’s opponent in Miami last month, but the Canadian had to withdraw injured before that showdown on hardcourt. With the scene shifted to clay, the momentum went with the Canadian as he took the biggest scalp of his fast-rising career in just under one and three-quarter hours at the Real Club de Tenis. “It was important to play a few games on clay, I had some good tennis from time to time,” said Murray. “It’s most important to get ready for the upcoming Masters 1000s (Madrid from May 7 and Rome to follow). Murray, a Monte Carlo quarter-finalist who admitted that he’s had a difficult time trying to make the change from hardcourt to clay, praised Raonic’s big game. “Milos has always played well on hardcourt - now he’s a threat on all surfaces.    “He’s got a huge serve, you must find ways to neutralise it. If you manage, you have options.” Raonic, winner of two titles this season on indoor hardcourt where his huge game is always a threat, showed that he’s getting comfortable on the dirt as he fired 14 aces in victory. His only other final-four on clay came a year ago in Estoril, when he lost to Spain’s Fernando Verdasco.Raonic’s shock win over Murray backed up his defeat of Spanish specialist Nicolas Almagro in the third round. The Canadian ended Murray’s best run in Barcelona, where he has claimed only a single match win in three previous appearances. Raonic won the first set thanks to one break of serve and stayed steady well into the second as he duelled with Murray. The Canadian broke for a 4-3 lead but was unable to close out victory immediately as Murray got the break back in the tenth game for five-apiece. As the set went to a tiebreaker, Raonic’s huge serve came to bear, with the 11th-seeded Canadian taking a 3-0 lead. He earned five match points, with Murray saving two before sending a week backhand into the net. Raonic converted on two of five break points while Murray missed on three of his break chances.  Murray had dropped just eight games in his first two matches in Barcelona, where he trained as a teenager and where Raonic has a base to go train with his Spanish coach Galo BlanCo Murray was Raonic’s sixth career win over a top 10 player.China’s Li crashes out of Stuttgart quartersFrench Open winner Li Na of China was the first quarter-final casualty of Stuttgart’s WTA clay-court tournament yesterday following her three-sets defeat to Agnieszka Radwanska. Li, the 2011 winner at Roland Garros, was beaten 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 by Polish fourth-seed Radwanska, who will play either world number one Victoria Azarenka or wildcard Mona Barthel who meet later Friday. After dominating the first set, Li struggled to cope as Radwanska raised her game with a series of drop shots and strong returns in the second before carrying her improved form into the third. With Roland Garros to start on May 27, Radwanska said she is enjoying finding her feet on clay-court as she bids to win her first Grand Slam title having claimed nine wins on the WTA tour. “I am enjoying my tennis and just trying everything at the moment,” said the 23-year-old, ranked fourth in the world and who claimed her ninth tour win at Miami recently. “I just hope this is my year, so I can take the next step.” All of Radwanska’s four losses this year have come at the hands of Azarenka and having also reached the semi-finals here last year, the Polish number one said it takes a special effort to beat the world number one.“You have to be at the top of your game and play some great tennis to beat her,” admitted Radwanska.