Pumped-up Milos Raonic ready to raise his game for US Open
Big-serving Canadian enters the last slam of the year looking to continue his Wimbledon success
Reaching his first grand slam semi-final earlier this month at Wimbledon left seventh-ranked Milos Raonic disappointed in his effort and more motivated to capture his first major title.
The 23-year-old Canadian begins his push to the US Open, what he calls "a very important slam for me", this week at the US$1.9 million ATP and WTA Washington Open.
I can play better than I did at Wimbledon.That doesn't put me very far away from being able to win the tournament [US Open]
"I felt I could have done much better in that situation," Raonic said of his 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 loss to Roger Federer in the Wimbledon semi-finals.
"It has been a lot of frustration, anger and disappointment with the semi-final. It has been transformed into a lot of motivation. I hate losing. The stinging stays with me."
That pushes Raonic, the second seed at Washington behind fifth-ranked Czech Tomas Berdych, as the huge server looks forward to the US Open on his favourite hard-court surface and coming off his best slam efforts, his Wimbledon breakthrough and a French Open quarter-final run.
"I can play better than I did at Wimbledon," Raonic said.
"That doesn't put me very far away from being able to win the tournament [US Open]."