Raonic happy to see coach McEnroe on TV
LONDON, July 8, 2016 (AFP) - Milos Raonic said he won't worry if coach John McEnroe remains in the TV commentating booth rather than his player's box if it means he wins Wimbledon on Sunday.
Raonic stunned seven-time champion Roger Federer 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 on Friday to become the first Canadian man to reach a Grand Slam final.
He will face 2013 winner Andy Murray for the title.
The 25-year-old Raonic teamed up with three-time Wimbledon champion McEnroe for the grass court season and the American's magic seems to have worked.
However, 57-year-old McEnroe already had long- standing TV commitments with the BBC at Wimbledon.
On Friday, McEnroe was in the Centre Court commentary box while Raonic's long-term coach Carlos Moya oversaw proceedings from the player's box up above.
"At the end of the day, I get to win Wimbledon. Who cares?" said Raonic when asked if he was concerned over McEnroe's split commitments.
Unlike McEnroe, whose fiery on-court demeanour often overshadowed his match-winning performances, Raonic says the American is having a tactical effect.
"There's no, too calm for you, you tend to be too calm, try to get energy out of you, try to get it out of you on court and leave it all out there, try to get the most out of yourself," said Raonic.
"I haven't been angry. I've been quite positive. I think it's more of a positive attitude. Keep plug- ging away, things will figure itself out."
Raonic is happy to see McEnroe keep up his media work, insisting that the colourful American always checks with him first if he believes there may be a conflict.
"It doesn't really make a difference by any means. I understood that when we started. That was one of the things that was really beneficial for the way we've gone about things," he explained.
"I remember when I played Jack Sock in the third round, he messaged me and said, Hey, they want me to call your match. Do you mind? If you need, I'll sort of request to call another match.
"I said, I don't mind at all. He's been a positive influence. I've dealt with that. That's the way it is. It's the terms we came to. From the beginning, we had a clear understanding."
McEnroe said that Raonic's game plan had been to serve at the body and keep the ball as much as possible away from the Federer backhand.
"It was probably the most intense match I have ever seen Milos play," McEnroe told the BBC.
"He's a good kid and it was well deserved. In that fourth set, he found an extra gear that even he probably didn't think he had.
"He hit the forehand of his life at 4-4 in the fourth set and I have never seen him volley so well."
He added: "Milos is a very intelligent guy. He uses the court like a geomtery equation. He knows were to position on the court and when to move forward."