Raonic knocks Nadal out of Brisbane International

01/07/2017

Defending champion Milos Raonic defeated former world No 1 Rafael Nadal in three sets to reach the semi-finals of the Brisbane International. Meanwhile, world No 4 Stan Wawrinka beat Briton Kyle Edmund to join Raonic, Kei Nishikori and Grigor Dimitrov in the last-four stage.

Raonic, who lost to Nadal in the semi-finals of Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi last week, exacted his revenge by beating the Spaniard 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. The big-hitting Canadian served 23 aces and hit 50 winners to just 19 by Nadal.

Nadal won the opening set, but failed to close out the next as Raonic claimed four straight games. World No 3 Raonic capitalised on an early break in the final set and served out for the match. He will meet seventh-seeded Grigor Dimitrov, who beat Austrian Dominic Thiem 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

“Today the mentality behind the match was what sort of kept me around," Raonic was quoted as saying by Tennis.com. “Some moments things weren't looking great. I wasn't efficient coming forward. I was missing some shots I shouldn't be. I was rushing. But at least I kept myself there, and I was able to always recuperate the next point. That's what I have to be most proud of.”

In another quarter-final, second-seeded Wawrinka beat unseeded Kyle Edmund 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-4 to reach the last-four in his first trip to the Brisbane tournament. The Swiss will lock horns with Nishikori, who beat Australian wild-card Jordan Thompson 6-1, 6-1.

Raonic knocks Nadal out of Brisbane International

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