Raonic on the Rebound in Cincinnati

After a disappointing loss to Rafael Nadal in the Rogers Cup Final, Milos Raonic is back in action at the Western and Southern Open this week. Al Dannity looks at how the draw might break for Canada’s top tennis player.

The high of a week filled with drama and victory came to a crashing halt on Sunday. Milos Raonic, the chosen son of Canadian tennis, seemingly had nothing to lose against Rafael Nadal. The manner of his 6-2 6-2 loss however proved this was far from the case. When Raonic missed, he missed badly. Nadal went on heady 10-point winning streaks that left the Thornhill, Ont. native looking like a club player. This was not the game of a man who, just this morning, entered the top 10 in the world rankings. Raonic’s nerves were obvious from the second game and he never got them back under control. Now he must rebound for the next Masters Series event is already upon him. Cincinnati beckons and a plucky underdog is waiting to strike.

Nebraska’s Jack Sock is better known for his work as a doubles player but he’s made strides on the singles tour with every season. Almost all of the significant steps have come at the US Open, where he made the second round in 2011 and then the third round last year. If Raonic isn’t mentally ready, he could be in for a nasty upset early. Assuming Raonic navigates past Sock, his next challenge will come from either Janko Tipsarevic or Sam Querrey. As his best, Tipsy is more than a match for the Canadian. The Serb has been on a slide in 2013 and is unlikely to get past his American opponent. Querrey, while a weaker challenge on paper, is the type of opponent Raonic doesn’t need. Raonic dispatched Querrey in San Jose earlier this year but the mental recovery from Sunday could leave him open to an upset from the 28th ranked player.

If Raonic progresses, his draw promises to be much tougher than the one he faced in Montreal. In the last 16, Raonic is scheduled to face Richard Gasquet. After that, it’s Novak Djokovic, with David Ferrer waiting on the opposite side of the draw at the semi-final stage. Getting to the quarter-final would be a great result for Raonic this week but even disposing of his first two opponents would suffice. Cincinnati isn’t about glory for the Canadian. It’s his launch-pad into Flushing Meadows. Raonic only needs to tread water this week so he can sail into the US Open with confidence.