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| Roger Federer lies face down on the floor after of a slip during his semi-final defeat. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images |
As he became the first Canadian man to reach a grand slam final,
Milos Raonic appeared not to know whether to laugh or cry. John McEnroe,
acting as a coaching consultant to the big-serving Raonic, who secured
victory over Roger Federer
in five see-saw sets, had called on his charge to be more expressive on
court. Yet when he finally clinched a 6-3, 6-7, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory
on Centre Court of courage, power and no little skill he could manage no
more than a shy smile.
Perhaps as significantly, the 25-year-old had become the first player
to beat Federer in a semi-final here. Up to now the record of arguably
the greatest of all time had been 10-0.
“It’s
an incredible comeback from me. I was struggling through the third and
fourth sets. On a little opening I managed to turn it around. It was a
great match,” said Raonic.
It was tempting to wonder whether Federer did not linger a little
longer than usual at the end, having surrendered the chance to make an
11th final in front of a typically adoring crowd in an arena that has
become a second home. Despite being clearly annoyed with himself over
the chances he failed to take to close out the fourth set, he insisted
that he would be back next year.
It appeared at one stage as though the imperious Swiss was about to
become the oldest male Wimbledon finalist for 42 years, having reeled in
his opponent in a display that rolled back the years, but playing his
second five-set contest in a row after an epic quarter-final comeback against Marin Cilic, Federer visibly faded and cut a frustrated figure.
“This one clearly hurts because I felt I could have had it,” he said.
“It was really so, so close. At the same time I totally overachieved
here.”
If it was strange to hear this great player talk about a semi-final
as overachieving, it was also probably true. Federer, who had surgery
for the first time in his career this season after injuring his knee
bathing his twin daughters, slipped during the fifth set in a game that
would ultimately prove pivotal. But, as he said, his chances had already
come and gone by then.
Instead,
it was Raonic, who saved break points that would have effectively
handed the match to Federer in the fifth and ninth games of the fourth
set, who came roaring back.
As it turns out, nerves get to everyone. Even Federer. The
34-year-old had served two double faults in his run to the semi-final,
but after failing to take chances of his own to seal victory, in the
fourth set he served two in a single game that Raonic went on to take in
order to move into a fifth-set decider.
In that set, having called for his knee to be massaged following the
slip on the hallowed turf, Federer could only watch as the irrepressible
Canadian fizzed a forehand past him to break. In the space of half an
hour, Raonic had clawed his way back from possible defeat to assume a
winning position that he did not relinquish.
He said McEnroe’s advice had been telling. “What he told me today was
to leave it all out there. I showed a lot of emotion, all of it
positive. Mentally, I had one of the best matches in my career,” Raonic
said.
After a whizz-bang opening the match had mutated into a gripping, if
occasionally error-strewn, contest. Raonic had started like a train,
pummelling Federer with serves of up to 144mph. In all, he served up 23
aces to Federer’s 16.
Federer then used all his experience to turn the tables on his
younger opponent before Raonic’s power and resilience won out. At 2-1
down, the fresh-faced world No6 was hanging on for dear life and in the
knowledge that if he was going to go down he might as well do so
fighting, began coming up with winners.
Displaying his usual grace under pressure, the seven-time Wimbledon
champion had imperceptibly taken control, establishing a 2-1 lead and
appearing on course for victory, but it was Raonic who was able to
summon new reserves of mental strength.
It was clear very early on that this was to be no repeat of 2014,
when the pair met at the same stage and Federer closed out victory in
straight sets.
Federer said he had felt insecure coming into Wimbledon, having won
one of his four matches against top-10 opposition this season. Far from
overawed by the reputation that precedes his illustrious opponent,
Raonic – who had come back from two sets down to win in the fourth round
against David Goffin – approached the first set with a swagger.
Federer was trying to attack the net whenever possible, but the rangy
Raonic gave as good as he got and could always rely on his thunderous
serve to get him out of trouble.
At set point down, Federer dug out a cross-court winner that left
Raonic stranded and elicited an elated reaction from the Centre Court
crowd. The Canadian would not be denied, though, and put away a forehand
winner to seal the set.
Up in the Royal Box, Bjorn Borg looked on as the Swiss came roaring
back to take the tiebreak that sealed the second set. He had all the
momentum in the third and fourth until that crucial moment in the fifth
game.
Grace Jones, a Federer fan, was also in the expensive seats and
thrilled to the sight of the Swiss coming back. Yet it was ultimately
Federer who was a slave to Raonic’s rhythm, as he sealed a famous
victory in just under three and a half hours.
Inevitably, Federer was asked if this would be the last time. “I hope
to be back on Centre Court. To make it very clear for you,” he said.
For Raonic, who made what felt like a significant breakthrough, there should be many visits to come – starting on Sunday.
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