By Caroline Cameron

It’s been a good couple of days for Milos Raonic.

First, Raonic easily beat Nicolas Almagro in straight sets…on clay.

So what did Raonic do next?  Well, he beat no. 4 in the world, Andy Murray 6-4, 7-6(3)…on clay.

And all of a sudden, the 21-year-old Canuck is turning into a triple threat on the hard, grass and clay courts.  I didn’t see this coming, at least, not this quickly.

His win against Murray is Raonic’s first top 4 win of his career, and he couldn’t have asked for a better opponent.  Murray has been extremely inconsistent and wasn’t prepared for Raonic’s powerful forehand and wicked serve.  Raonic lost only four points on serve in the first set against Murray and hit 14 aces in the match.

That’s been the difference for Raonic.  On clay, his serve gets slowed down and his shorter, speedier opponents have an advantage.  But this week, Raonic has been moving more freely than his 6’5” frame suggests and his impressive forehand has been helping him almost as much as his booming serve.  Not only that, but his return game is improving.

Raonic’s test will continue in the semifinals when he’ll face clay court specialist David Ferrer.  Ferrer has won all three of their previous meetings, but Raonic is entering the match with a lot of confidence.

If Raonic can beat Almagro, Murray, and Ferrer on clay, it’s going to be a great spring season for Canadian tennis fans.

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