BNP Paribas Masters, Paris

[CR2] Roger Federer (SUI) vs. [CR10] Milos Raonic (CAN)

Raonic did what he has not been able to do in their previous six encounters, beat Federer.  It was a highly competitive match, both players wanting the victory, but Raonic was more determined because he has always stated that he could perform better against Federer.

The edge in serving goes to Raonic; however, Federer has the advantage in tactics and mobility. Raonic demonstrated his improved mobility by staying in the points with Federer; thus, it came down to a few tactical errors by Federer.  Unexpectedly, Raonic took his game to a higher level in the first set tie-break and Federer did not respond. Today, Federer was defenseless against Raonic’s attacking game and was out-played in the second set. Raonic won 7-6(5), 7-5, delighting his fans and probably preventing Federer from ending the year as the number one ranked player.