Hello world!
Group A’s two weekend losers meet in a winner-takes-something battle to still have more than a vague mathematical interest in this competition. Andy Murray faces 6ft 5in big-hitting Canadian speedster Milos Raonic, quite accurately predicting that “I’ll need to play better than I did on Sunday”, when he rather limply folded to Kei Nishikori. Here were his other key pre-match thoughts:
The best part of his game is the serve. He does not return as well, maybe, as Kei does so hopefully I can get a few points on my serve. If I can serve better that will help, regardless of whether it is against Milos or Roger.
Head-to-head-wise Raonic has a handy 3-1 lead, though the pair would have played twice more but for assorted injuries: Raonic pulled out of a third-round meeting in Miami two years ago with an ankle problem, and Murray gave up on the Rogers Cup in Toronto later that year with a knee injury.
I’m not entirely sure what to expect of this match. It could be good, it could be horribly, spirit-crushingly disappointing. Time, and not a lot of it, will tell. Welcome.
