Sports

Milos Raonic beats Dennis Novak in triumphant return to Wimbledon

Published

1 year ago

July 6, 2023

Milos Raonic of Canada plays a forehand against Dennis Novak at Wimbledon on July 5Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Court 16 at Wimbledon lies in the shadows of the championships’ famed Centre Court, and it’s usually reserved for the game’s lesser lights. It’s not where you’d expect to find a former Wimbledon finalist and one-time world No. 3 duking it out in front of a few hundred spectators and the odd passerby who cared to stop and watch.

But there was Milos Raonic on Wednesday, out on Court 16 for his first-round match against Austrian Dennis Novak, ranked 159th in the world. It was the start of an improbable comeback for the Canadian – whose ranking has plummeted to 849 – after a two-year absence from Wimbledon, the scene of some of his biggest triumphs.

The last time Raonic set foot in the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club he spent most of his time on the tournament’s show courts putting the fear of God into opponents with a blazing serve that once topped 236 kilometres an hour, still among the tournament’s fastest. He made it to the semi-finals in 2014, the final in 2016 and the quarter-finals twice after that.

A damaged Achilles tendon shut him down in 2021 and he limped away from the sport vowing never to return. He cut himself off from the game and refused to watch matches on television or talk about tennis with his family, his friends, or his agent.

Life moved in a different direction. He married his long-time partner, Camille Ringoir, in April, 2022, and they shuttled between the Bahamas, New York and the California coast; as far away as possible from the pressure and grind of being a professional athlete.

“I stayed away from Toronto, I think for a little while, because the question always was; what are you doing now? How is it? I just didn’t even want to be asked those questions,” he said Wednesday. “I realized that life after tennis will be okay.”

It was only by chance during a stay in the Bahamas last year that he felt the urge to pick up a racquet again. He passed a tennis court every day on his way to the gym. Finally, he stopped and thought about hitting a ball or two, but even warming up felt painful.

Then the longing set in. Tennis “would be on TV sometimes when I’d be in the gym. It was kind of always around and I kind of wanted to give it another go,” he said.

He refused to rush in. Being more grounded, and married, helped bring some perspective to his decision to launch a comeback. “When I wanted to play again, it wasn’t out of desperation or anxiousness. It was more out of, ‘Would it be something I’d enjoy and have fun with?’” he said. “I kind of decided that I wanted to get ready to get back when the timing was right. Not because I felt like, hey, I need to make Wimbledon, or I need to make it for the U.S. Open.”

He started training in earnest earlier this year and faced a string of setbacks. The return seemed out of reach until he entered a Wimbledon tune-up event in the Netherlands in June. He defeated Miomir Kecmanovic, a top-50 player, with relative ease: 6-3, 6-4. But he had to drop out of his next match because of a sore shoulder.

That put his return to Wimbledon in question. Could he handle multiple rounds of five-set matches?

His initial challenge in London was the weather. Rain delayed his first-round match against Novak by a full day. They had to wait another 90 minutes before the start of play on Wednesday and then faced two rain delays in the opening set. Flashes of 2011 went through his mind, when he slipped and ended up requiring hip surgery.

Raonic was so out of sorts that he didn’t know what to do during the stoppages in play. “Last time I dealt with a rain delay has been a very long time ago,” he said. “So, all these kinds of things you feel out of routine. You’re kind of always questioning yourself, like, what did I used to do when these things would happen before?”

He passed some of the time playing an animal trivia game with fellow Canadian Denis Shapovalov, whose match was also suspended. “I learned that a turtle can be breathe through its butt,” Raonic said.

By the time play resumed for good, Raonic had found some of his old magic.

He unleashed his trademark serve on Novak, 29, and piled up 28 aces including one to finish the match. After losing the first set in a tiebreaker, Raonic powered through the next three sets and picked up steam as Novak faded. The final score read 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-1.

There were miscues, missed chances and plenty of mistakes, including 37 unforced errors. But for only his second match in two years, Raonic left the court happy. “I think I did a lot of things well,” he said.

The one thing he regretted was not enjoying the moment. “I think you just get caught up with the whole process of competing and trying to find a way to win and that passes by really quickly,” he said. “You know, it’s 5-1, serving for [the match], and you don’t really get to enjoy the match, you’re just competing.”

Raonic is only 32 years old – four years younger than Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic – but it seems like he has been at the forefront of Canadian tennis for eons. His breakthrough year came more than a decade ago in 2011 when he was named ATP World Tour Newcomer of the Year. He was the first Canadian male to break into the top 10, he’s won eight ATP Tour titles and he’s advanced to 10 Grand Slam quarter-finals, two semi-finals and one final.

He isn’t thinking much beyond his next match on Thursday. For now, his summer plans include the National Bank Open in Toronto and the U.S. Open, and not much more. “I just played one match,” he said. “No reason to look much further.”

Sitting court side on Wednesday, Sean Brown and his twin brother Cole cheered every point Raonic won. They’ve followed Raonic’s career for years and they came from Toronto when they heard he’d be at Wimbledon.

“It was awesome,” said Sean, a 24-year-old lawyer. “It seemed like the same old Milos that I’m used to. It’s good to see.”

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Sports

Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

AP cricket:

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Sports

Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Sports

Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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