Wednesday 25 January 2017 15:51, UK
Milos Raonic, seeded third for his seventh outing at Melbourne Park, will face a resurgent Rafael Nadal as he attempts to reach his fourth Grand Slam semi-final.
The quarter-finalists of the 2017 men's draw have won 34 Grand Slams between them, and yet the highest remaining seed is yet to lift a major trophy.
The world No 3 has long flown the flag for the men’s game in Canada - becoming the nation’s first Grand Slam semi-finalist since Robert Powell in 1908 when he faced Roger Federer for a place in the Wimbledon 2014 final.
It wasn’t to be, as the youngster was dismissed in straight sets, but it did encourage the world to sit up and take note of this emerging talent.
Despite an unimpressive junior career - only once passing the second round of a boys' Slam, with a highest combined ranking of 35 - the Sampras-worshipping right-hander soon made his mark on the ATP Tour.
Raonic won his first title in San Jose in 2011, making him the first player born in the 1990s to lift a trophy at that level, and his most recent in Brisbane in 2016. Could his next gong be his biggest yet?
Defending his title in Brisbane this year, Raonic was dethroned by Dimitrov in the final, but has established himself as a Tour stalwart over the past few seasons - an individual constantly striving to improve his game in the search of that elusive maiden major.
With a big forehand and even bigger serve, Raonic brings an aggressive game to the court - happy to risk errors in pursuit of booming winners.
At 6ft 4in, it is no surprise that his movement remains a weakness, but it's one he’s addressing, particularly through his work with Richard Krajicek.
The Dutchman, best known for upsetting Sampras at Wimbledon in 1996 on his way to the title, is a short game expert, and has encouraged the Raonic to diversify his game even further.
The Canadian prefers a short point, and now has the arsenal to force these, rushing to the net in order to deftly terminate rallies, and agile enough to dance around balls to set up sizzling forehand winners.
His second serve returns, however, require work. Raonic's serve is one of the most formidable weapons on the tour - he fired down 33 aces against Roberto Bautista Agut in his fourth round clash - but he lacks aggression when receiving. The 26-year-old managed 874 aces in 2016, holding serve isn't an issue, so can hugely increase his chances at major titles by generating more break points.
There’s also the issue of big-match and point mentality. Against the Spaniard, he converted just five out of 16 break points, an awful proportion by any standards. As the tournament progresses and pressure mounts, it will be essential that he makes those shots.
Concerns have been raised over his tendency to pick up injuries, too. Against Andy Murray in last season's Australian Open semi-final, Raonic led by two sets to one before sustaining an adductor injury and swiftly exiting the tournament.
At Melbourne Park this year, it’s been pretty smooth sailing for the Canadian: straight sets over Dustin Brown and Gilles Muller, overcoming a fever to oust Gilles Simon in four, and shrugging off a slow start to dismiss the 13th seed Bautista Agut. Once he hit his stride, Raonic secured his quarter-final berth at a canter.
He’s too young to be called a ‘nearly man’ or ‘also ran’, but there is the sense that a maiden Grand Slam is on the horizon for this fast-improving athlete.
With Djokovic’s exit, Raonic’s path to the final is far smoother. The weight of expectation upon the Canadian has swelled exponentially: can he handle it?
