Thirty-six hours after his tournament-opening thriller against ninth seed Frances Tiafoe Monday night, Milos Raonic’s homecoming tour continued at the National Bank Open in Toronto with a decisive 6-4, 6-3 victory in straight sets over Japan’s Taro Daniel in the Round of 32.
Just as it was in Monday’s statement win, the story of Wednesday’s matchup was all about the serve. It was the signature booming overhand of the man in red and white that was ultimately the difference-maker, though not without a strong challenge from Daniel, whose best defence against Raonic’s serve wasn’t to return it but rather to try to keep pace by holding his own.
It wasn’t until the 10th game of the first set that a player was able to break his opponent’s serve. Up 5-4, it was Raonic who broke free from the rhythm of the back-and-forth contest and claimed the set. The 32-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., carried that momentum into the second, winning the first three games and creating a cushion that proved crucial in keeping Daniel’s comeback attempt at bay.
If Monday’s win made a statement, Wednesday’s answered a question about whether his health would allow him to repeat the feat.
“To be honest, after playing well in the first round, having not played many matches back to back in a very long time, I really didn’t expect to play that well today,” Raonic said post-match. “I knew it would be difficult. I know that that’s one of the more difficult things, is that kind of picking stuff up and carrying it from one day to the next and having that continuity. So, I was very aware of that kind of potentially being the case.”
Asked where he feels his overall game is now, compared to pre-injury, Raonic indicated it’s not far off.
“It’s never been a question so much of level,” he said. “It’s more been like, A: can I push myself physically to prepare the way I need to to be able to play well? And, B: when it comes to matches and stuff, can I be able to kind of withstand that load and that physical exertion kind of week in and week out?”
Wednesday’s win, while showcasing once again his strong service game, was not without a few uncertain moments — from the hometown crowd, at least. The final sequence of Raonic’s midday match mirrored the first in both its nerves and its thrills. The Canuck opened the contest with a rare double fault, sending a ripple of anxious energy through the stands that quickly turned into a roar of excitement — and, sure, more than a little relief, too — as he followed up the misstep with a pair of signature aces. Then, up 5-3 in the second set with the match on the line and the ball in his hand, Raonic delayed the crowd’s elation with his second double fault of the contest before his blistering ace — his 15th of the match — secured the win.
“Yeah, there was, obviously, some points of frustration today. A few break points I didn’t necessarily play well or maybe some opportunities I felt get away, which, when I kind of had opportunities in my last match, I was probably a bit more sharp,” he said. “But I just kind of kept plugging away and giving myself those chances.”
It’s been a long road back to the courts for Raonic, who was sidelined nearly two years after suffering an Achilles injury in 2021. But it was a very short 36 hours between matches, precious few hours to recover and regain his strength and stamina. He’ll have even less time to prepare for his next date: Thursday’s Round of 16 matchup against Mackenzie McDonald, the American fresh off ousting tournament sixth seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets.
It’s helped, of course, that Raonic has been able to spend what little off-court time he does have at home. As he told Sportsnet’s Arash Madani following his win, Raonic’s enjoying his time at home.
“It’s easy to be home. It’s fun to be home. Yesterday after a long day’s practice I went over to my parents’ house, played with my dogs, go get some dinner after. It’s a little more enjoyable, a little more fun,” he said.
That’s all contributing to his calm, cool demeanour — even amid the midday heat. And neither the sun nor the spotlight is poised to ease up much in the coming days, considering Raonic is now the lone Canadian vying for Toronto’s tournament title. As Raonic spoke post-match, young Canuck Gabriel Diallo, on the heels of Tuesday’s rousing victory over Great Britain’s Daniel Evans, was just a few games into his first set against Alex De Minaur of Australia. Despite a strong start in the first and an early lead in the second, Diallo fell to his opponent in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5.
Diallo called his first National Bank Open experience “a great eye-opener” not only for his own on-court experience but the chance to be around tour veterans.
“I learned a lot from how the pros behave, how they train, how they carry themselves outside the court. So great learning experience for me,” Diallo said.
“And, yeah, I’m disappointed, but I think I did some good things on the court. And I’m proud of myself for believing I could win until the last point,” he continued. “And now it’s just on to the next one.”
Next up for Diallo will be the Winnipeg Challenger, followed by U.S. Open qualifiers later this month.
Meanwhile, Raonic’s “next up” brings with it another iteration of the same question — the one we’ll continue to ask as long as the Canadian is on the court: Just how far can he go?
“You know, you have to rest well, eat well, do the therapy I need to do with my team. And kind of just go through that to give my body the best chance to heal, and then give myself the best chance to compete and really leave it all out there tomorrow,” he said. “And that way, I can have a chance.”
NEW YORK – Toronto Blue Jays reliever Chad Green and Canadian slugger Tyler O’Neill of the Boston Red Sox were named finalists for the Major League Baseball Players’ Association’s American League comeback player award on Monday.
Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet was the other nominee.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. were named player of the year finalists.
The award winners, selected via player voting, will be named Saturday before Game 2 of the World Series.
Green, who missed most of the 2022 and ’23 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery, was a high-leverage option for the Blue Jays this past season and filled in at closer over the second half of the campaign.
The right-hander converted his first 16 save opportunities and finished the year with a 4-6 record, 17 saves and a 3.21 earned-run average over 53 appearances.
O’Neill, a native of Burnaby, B.C., also endured back-to-back injury-plagued seasons in ’22 and ’23.
After being traded to the Red Sox in the off-season, O’Neill set an MLB record by hitting a homer in his fifth straight Opening Day. He finished with 31 homers on the year and had an OPS of .847.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
NEW YORK – Florida Panthers centre Sam Reinhart was named NHL first star of the week on Monday after leading all players with nine points over four games last week.
Reinhart had four goals, five assists and a plus-seven rating to help the Stanley Cup champions post a 3-0-1 record on the week and move into first place in the Atlantic Division.
New York Rangers left-winger Artemi Panarin took the second star and Minnesota Wild goaltenderFilip Gustavsson was the third star.
Panarin had eight points (4-4) over three games.
Gustavsson became the 15th goalie in NHL history to score a goal and had a 1.00 goals-against average and .962 save percentage over a pair of victories.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2024.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Deshaun Watson won’t finish the season as Cleveland’s starting quarterback for the second straight year.
He’s injured again, and the Browns have new problems.
Watson ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the first half of Sunday’s loss to Cincinnati, collapsing as he began to run and leading some Browns fans to cheer while the divisive QB laid on the ground writhing in pain.
The team feared Watson’s year was over and tests done Monday confirmed the rupture. The Browns said Watson will have surgery and miss the rest of the season but “a full recovery is expected.”
It’s the second significant injury in two seasons for Watson, who broke the glenoid (socket) bone in his throwing shoulder last year after just six starts.
The 29-year-old went down Sunday without being touched on a draw play late in the first half. His right leg buckled and Watson crumpled to the turf. TV replays showed his calf rippling, consistent with an Achilles injury.
He immediately put his hands on his helmet, clearly aware of the severity of an injury similar to the one Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers sustained last year.
As he was being assisted by the team’s medical staff and backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson grabbed a ball to begin warming up, there was some derisive cheers and boos from the stands in Huntington Bank Field.
Cleveland fans have been split over Watson, who has been accused of being sexually inappropriate with women.
The reaction didn’t sit well with several Watson’s teammates, including star end Myles Garrett, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, who was appalled by the fans’ behavior.
“We should be ashamed of ourselves as Browns and as fans to boo anyone and their downfall. To be season-altering, career-altering injury,” Garrett said. “Man’s not perfect. He doesn’t need to be. None of us are expected to be perfect. Can’t judge him for what he does off the field or on the field because I can’t throw stones for my glass house.
“Ultimately everyone’s human and they’re disappointed just like we are, but we have to be better than that as people. There’s levels to this. At the end of the day, it’s just a game and you don’t boo anybody being injured and you don’t celebrate anyone’s downfall.”
Backup quarterback Jameis Winston also admonished the uncomfortable celebration.
“I am very upset with the reaction to a man that has had the world against him for the past four years, and he put his body and life on the line for this city every single day,” he said. “The way I was raised, I will never pull on a man when he’s down, but I will be the person to lift him up.
“I know you love this game. When I first got here, I knew these were some amazing fans, but Deshaun was treated badly and now he has to overcome another obstacle. So I’m going to support him, I’m going to lift him up and I’m going to be there for him.”
The injury is yet another twist in Watson’s tumultuous time with the Browns.
Cleveland traded three first-round draft picks and five overall to Houston in 2022 to get him, with owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam approving the team giving Watson a fully guaranteed, five-year $230 million contract.
With a solid roster, the Browns were desperate to find a QB who could help them compete against the top AFC teams.
The Browns had moved on from Baker Mayfield despite drafting him No. 1 overall in 2018 and making the playoffs two seasons later.
But Watson has not played up to expectations — fans have been pushing for him to be benched this season — and Cleveland’s move to get him has been labeled an abject failure with the team still on the hook to pay him $46 million in each of the next two seasons.
Watson’s arrival in Cleveland also came amid accusations by more than two dozen women of sexual assault and harassment during massage therapy sessions while he played for the Texans. Two grand juries declined to indict him and he has settled civil lawsuits in all but one of the cases.
Watson was suspended by the NFL for his first 11 games and fined $5 million for violating the league’s personal conduct policy before he took his first snap with the Browns. The long layoff — he sat out the 2021 season in a contract dispute — led to struggles once he got on the field, and Watson made just six starts last season before hurting his shoulder.
Cleveland signed veteran Joe Flacco, who went 4-1 as a starter and led the Browns to the playoffs.
Before Watson got hurt this year, he didn’t play much better. He was one of the league’s lowest-rated passers for a Cleveland team that hasn’t scored 20 points in a game and is back in search of a franchise QB.
