ANDY MURRAY OUTLASTS MILOS RAONIC, TO FACE NOVAK DJOKOVIC IN THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS FINALS 2016 BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: Staff on 29th January 2016

ANDY MURRAY OUTLASTS MILOS RAONIC, TO FACE NOVAK DJOKOVIC IN THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN TENNIS FINALS 2016 BY RICKY DIMON

epa05132761 Andy Murray of Britain in action against Milos Raonic of Canada during the semi final match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 29 January 2016. EPA/MADE NAGI |

It will be a rematch of the 2015 Australian Open: Novak Djokovic vs. Andy Murray.

Murray joined Djokovic on the championship Sunday lineup after overcoming Milos Raonic 4-6, 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2 during semifinal action on Friday night. Murray twice trailed by a set, but he took the fourth and the fifth to get the job done in four hours and three minutes of play.

To say the second-ranked Scot got off to an inauspicious start would be a gross understatement. Not only did he get broken in the very first game of the match, but it also came–shockingly–at love. Not surprisingly, that all but decided the set. Raonic held the entire way, fighting off three break points in the process.

The big-serving Canadian got broken only once in the first three sets. It cost him the second when he donated serve at 5-6, but Raonic did little wrong throughout the third. He cracked 19 winner’s to Murray’s 10, won 20 of 22 first-serve points, and led the tiebreaker from start to finish after pocketing an early mini-break.

Milos Raonic of Canada in action against Andy Murray of Britain during their semi final match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 29 January 2016. EPA/MADE NAGI

The rest of the way, however, it was almost all Murray. Raonic took a medical timeout for an apparent groin problem at 1-2 in the fourth and was soon broken at love in his 3-3 service game. Arguably the last crucial moment of the match came with Murray serving down break point at 4-3. The world No. 2 saved it with a winning forehand volley despite Raonic having gotten a very good look at a backhand passing shot. Murray held two points later.

After closing out the fourth, it was one-way traffic for Murray throughout the fifth against a hobbled adversary.

“(It was) probably the most heartbroken I felt on court, but that’s what it is,” said Raonic, who destroyed his racket after dropping serve to begin the fifth. “I felt good. I sort of dipped a little bit too much on my return. I think I was forcing a little bit too much…. I’m happy with where my tennis is at, I just wish I could play.”

“I’ve obviously played very good tennis here,” commented Murray, who is through to the final in Melbourne for the fifth time in his career. “I’ve given myself many opportunities to reach the finals; seven straight quarterfinals, as well. I have a very good shot on Sunday if I play my best tennis.”

But how good is “good”? Djokovic is 4-0 lifetime against Murray this event and the top-ranked Serb has won the title five times in as many final appearances.