Milos Raonic was born in Montenegro, raised in Thornhill, Ont., and resides in Monte Carlo, yet the clay courts of Barcelona make the Canuck feel very much at home.
In fact, Raonic hasn’t looked very Canadian out on the clay courts this spring — and that’s a good thing. Canadian tennis players grow up on the hard courts and rarely practice or train on grass or clay. But thanks in a large part to Spanish coach Galo Blanco, Raonic has spent most of his time training in Barcelona and competes in the full clay court season.
And on Saturday morning, Raonic’s clay court skills will be tested when he faces Rafael Nadal in the Barcelona semifinals.
Yes.
That Rafael Nadal.
The King of Clay.
Programming Alert: Milos Raonic takes on Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the Barcelona Open. Catch it live on Sportsnet ONE at 10 a.m. ET
Okay, I know what you’re thinking: ‘how on earth is Raonic supposed to beat Nadal, let alone beat him on clay?’
Is Raonic the favourite? No. But could he win? Yes.
Because of his height, reach, and his blistering serve, Raonic is a difficult opponent for anyone on the ATP tour. Whenever players have to face-off against a tall player, they have to make adjustments.
Besides the adjustments that Nadal will have to make against Raonic, the Canuck is heading into this semifinal with a lot of confidence and nothing to lose.
Even if Raonic loses, reaching the Barcelona semifinal is something to be proud of.
But if Raonic can give Nadal a good fight, it’ll be a good sign as he heads into the French Open and busy summer schedule.
And if Raonic can somehow win and beat Nadal in Barcelona, the tennis world will take notice. Big time.