Alright, so I decided to sit down and really watch this match between Roberto Bautista Agut and Milos Raonic. I’ve seen them play before, quite different styles, which always makes for an interesting watch, I think.
So, I got comfortable, got the stream going. First thing you notice, right off the bat, is the contrast. You got Agut, Mr. Consistency. He just sets up shop on the baseline. Doesn’t hit with crazy power, not most of the time anyway, but man, does he make his opponent hit an extra ball. Always. Saw him running down shots that looked like winners.
How it Played Out
Then you got Raonic. The serve. It’s just huge. When that first serve is clicking, it’s almost unfair. A couple of points were just ace, ace, service winner. Game over quick. That’s his game plan, keep the points short.
- Raonic’s Side: Lots of big serves, trying to follow up with a big forehand. Minimal rallying if he can help it. Saw him come to the net a bit too, trying to finish things.
- Agut’s Side: Weathering the storm, basically. Trying to get those serves back in play. Once the rally starts, he’s looking to move Raonic side-to-side, test his movement. Making Milos hit ball after ball.
It kinda went back and forth like that. One guy holds serve easily with power, the other grinds out his service game. The real battle was during Agut’s service games, could Raonic get a look? And during Raonic’s games, could Agut just get the ball back deep enough, often enough, to start a point?
My Takeaways
I was watching closely how Agut positioned himself for the return. Trying to anticipate, maybe cheat a little one way or the other. Didn’t always work, obviously, against that kind of speed.
What struck me was the mental part. Agut never looks rushed, never looks panicked, even when serves are flying past him. He just resets and goes again. Raonic, you could see, needed those free points from the serve. When Agut got him into longer rallies, you could almost feel the pressure building on Raonic to end the point.
It wasn’t necessarily a match full of highlight-reel shots every other point. More of a tactical fight. Like watching a boxer with great defense against a power puncher. Who imposes their style?
Ended up being a pretty absorbing watch, just seeing how those styles matched up on the day. You see the strategy playing out right in front of you. Solid couple of hours spent watching them battle it out.
