Djokovic Looks To Extend Record Over Raonic

Odds-on Australian Open favourite Novak Djokovic will look avoid an upset and post a win over Canadian Milos Raonic in the quarter-final stage tomorrow morning (1:00). The four-time tournament winner failed to make the semis last year after a 6-2, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 7-9 defeat at the hands of eventual winner Stanislas Wawrinka but is well placed to progress, being unbeaten against the number eight seed.

The two players have meet four times on-court since 2013 with the Montenegro-born star failing to pick up even one victory. What`s more, Raonic can only boast taking one set from the Serbian in the total of eleven sets they have played and, as a result, is the 11/2 outsider (bet365) to record his first triumph over Djokovic tomorrow. He is 5/6 (william hill) to not win a set.

Wednesday`s 1/9 favourite (bet365) slated his first win over his opponent in a round robin of matches as Serbia took on Canada back in 2013. Playing on clay, the two stars fought out a tie-break in the first set, which Djokovic claimed before securing a win in straight sets, 7-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Two more of these clashes have come on clay surfaces, the 2014 Rome Masters semi-final preceding the quarter-final stage of the French Open. It was in Italy where Raonic managed to earn himself a set against the world number one, taking the opener 7-6. He was close to taking the whole match as the second set went to another tie-break but that fell to Djokovic before he cleaned up in the third 6-3.

The 27-year-old progressed to take the crown, picking up his third title by defeating seven-time winner Rafael Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the final.

At Roland Garros, six foot five Raonic was also on the wrong end of fine margins to see him sent home, losing 7-5, 7-6, 6-4 to his opponent. Again, the 14-time Grand Slam finalist made the final two but lost out to Nadal despite going a set to the good. It finished 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-4.

Djokovic and Raonic have played out four tie-breaks in the four matches they have played, the equivalent of one a match. bet365 and a cluster of other bookmakers have odds of 4/11 on a tie-break being necessary to split the two men at any stage tomorrow. ladbrokes` 12/5 on their not being one is the best price available. Indeed, whilst the favourite has only played one set tie-break during this tournament, his opponent has fought out four, getting the better of his rival on three occasions.

A tie-break wasn`t necessary in the two men`s only clash on hard when Djokovic put his competitor to the sword in the 2014 Paris Masters final. The encounter lasted just over one hour and twenty minutes, the result reading 6-2, 6-3.

What`s also in Djokovic`s favour is the fact that he has looked good throughout this year`s competition, never having needing a fourth set to record a victory in any of his previous rounds. Again, a straight sets Djokovic win can be backed at 8/11 with bet365.

In opposition, the 24-year-old Canadian dropped both the second and fourth sets in his fourth round tie against Feliciano Lopez and needed a fifth to secure his progression through to his first Australian Open quarter-final. He took that match 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3.

Prior to playing Lopez of Spain, Raonic took down Ukraine`s Illya Marchenko, Donald Young of USA and big serving German Benjamin Becker in straight sets.

Djokovic`s victories were recorded over Aljaz Bedene (Slovakia), Andrey Kuznetsov (Russia), Fernando Verdasco (Spain) and Gilles Muller (Luxembourg).

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27/01/2015     © Frixo 2024