Many people going into Friday afternoon were already analysing the match up between Roger Federer and Andy Murray, as a rematch of the 2012 final. "Andy's second serve will be a vulnerability against Roger's fearsome forehand" was the common feeling amongst commentators and pundits. Little did the sporting public know that Milos Raonic had other ideas. As Andy serenely came through his semi final against Tomas Berdych, Milos won an epic contest in 5 sets to portray he has matured into a real Grand Slam contender. With many people predicting a precession for Andy in the final, the rematch of the Queen's final a few weeks ago is likely to be a lot closer than people think.
The McEnroe factor
Since the beginning of the grass court season, Raonic shocked the Tennis world by adding legend John McEnroe to his coaching team. While McEnroe's role is that of a consultant, and the brilliant Spaniard Carlos Moya remains the main coach, his impact cannot be understated. The mental side of the game is a huge part of a tennis player's life. The mindset top professionals have to be in consistently defines their success on the court. To get advice from a 7-time Grand Slam champion on how to approach certain moments and points in a match will be invaluable for Milos. This will undoubtedly give him confidence going into Sunday afternoon.
The Murray-Lendl reunion
Like Raonic, Murray also added a new member to his coaching staff.
Ivan Lendl, his coach and mentor from 2012 to 2014, came back to work with Andy. Their incredible success during their first stint makes this a very popular decision among sports fans and commentators. Even Andy stated that Lendl makes him ruthless and gives him even more belief than he already has. During these championships, Andy has been showing a lot of positive emotion and has not shown the anger towards his own box that we have become accustomed to.
This has to be the effect of Ivan and he will make sure come Sunday, his man will be utterly focussed on winning a second title in SW19.
Raonic's drive and determination
This was evident straight after his semi final victory against Federer. In his post-match interview, he was asked about becoming the first Canadian to reach a Grand Slam final, he said his impact would be greater should he win the tournament.
Even getting multiple coaches underlines the desire of Milos to reach the pinnacle of his sport. He is not satisfied with his performances and wants to keep improving for a while yet. He should be used as an inspiration for other young players to reach their maximum potential and he will continue to excel for many more years.
As the tournament comes to a magnificent climax, Andy Murray will start the final as the clear favourite and should win his second title. However, do not be surprised if Milos leaves the grounds as the champion and starts his own period of dominance, like his heroes before him.
