Raonic beats Pouille for place in Stuttgart Open final against Federer
STUTTGART, Germany — Canada’s Milos Raonic has reason to be confident entering his first ATP World Tour final in over a year.
He’s coming off four straight-set victories this week at the Stuttgart Open and has beaten his next opponent — soon-to-be world No. 1 Roger Federer — in two of their last three meetings.
Raonic’s ranking has slipped to No. 35 as he has battled injuries over the last few seasons, but the 27-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., appears to be back in top form at the grass-court event. He dispatched defending champion Lucas Pouille of France 6-4, 7-6 (3) on Saturday.
“It’s a really positive step forward for me,” Raonic said. “I’ve played good tennis this week. I’ve come back from not playing the last few weeks and I’ve come back playing at a high level. So I’m very happy with myself and I hope I can continue to improve my level again tomorrow.”