[PHOTOS] Nestor moves to semis, Raonic out at quarterfinals
Sometimes all you need is a break. Milos Raonic couldn’t get one on Friday night, losing 4-6, 7-6(5), 3-6 to Spain’s Feliciano Lopez at Toronto’s quarterfinals.
Lopez went up 3-2 in the first set, breaking sixth seed Raonic’s usually imposing service game. It was all the left-handed Spaniard needed to take the first set 6-4. Raonic clearly struggled with his return game, and that bled into the second set. The hometown boy gave the crowd a handful of nervous moments through a tense tie break. He eventually emerged the winner at 7-5, to take the second set 7-6.
Lopez – ranked 25th in the world – managed to move on, partly by defending all nine break points forced on him by Raonic. When the Canadian pushed, the Spaniard held. Lopez will play the winner of either Ferrer or Federer in tomorrow’s semifinal.
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Canada isn’t completely without hope. Daniel Nestor and doubles partner Nenad Zimonjic (seeded third) are in Saturday’s semifinal. The pair dispatched French team Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin to earn a semi against second seed team of Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares.
All photos by Janet Kwan for Olympic.ca
