As players started arriving for the Delray Beach International, the happiest man to be found in the players's lounge was Martin Larendeau, the Canadian Davis Cup captain.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Laurendeau has found himself a player — a surging 20-year-old called Milos Raonic who was in the process of blasting his way into the semifinals at Memphis as we spoke. And that, of course, followed Raonic's title winning performance in San Jose and a round of sixteen showing at the Australian Open, a sensational run that has lifted from 165 a month ago straight into the world's top fifty.
"It's all happened so fast," said Laurendeau who, as head of Canada's Development department, has watched the young man battle through the juniors with attitude and fitness problems before suddenly getting it together in such startling fashion that some people — including myself — feel he has a real shot at making the top ten by the end of the year.
"We sent him to Spain with his personal coach Gallo Blanco at the end of last year and, although he had a shoulder problem which prevented him playing matches for a while, he was able to put in some serious physical work," said Laurendeau. "But it still didn't come easily. He had tough matches trying to qualify for Chennai in the first tournament of the year and then could have lost in the qualifying at the Australian Open. He had a mental blow out while qualifying for Johannesburg, too, but after some tough words from Blanco he got the message and has just gone on this amazing winning streak. Obviously it's great for us and great for tennis in Canada."
It will certainly help in the Davis Cup, too. After Memphis, Laurendeau expects Roanic to have a gentle week playing doubles on clay at the ATP event in Acapulco before joining the squad in Mexico City which is always a daunting place to play for visiting teams.
"It's at altitude, the crowds are really intimidating and you play with pressure-less balls which fluff up and can go anywhere," said Laurendeau. "It will be tough for Milos because he has to take responsibility of being No. 1 on our team now but he will certainly be a great asset."
Todd Martin, who is playing with John McEnroe, Mats Wilander, Mark Philippoussis and others in a Seniors event here before the ATP tournament starts on Monday, has been amazed at the speed of Raonic's improvement.
"I have known of him for some time because I have a friend from Northwestern who has been hitting with him," said the former Northwestern star. "I saw Milos qualify for the U.S. Open last year but, frankly, his game needed a lot of work at that stage. Time in Spain has obviously opened his eyes as far as understanding the game is concerned, and I was impressed with what I saw while commentating on his matches at San Jose."
Martin laughs off the idea that Raonic might be getting tired after a global swing through three continents involving more high-pressure matches than he has ever known before. "He's twenty!" says Martin. "He's on such an adrenalin high he hasn't stopped to think about being tired. At that age you think you are invincible."
Those who have watched his matches have taken note of the massive game, anchored by the biggest serve on the tour, banged down from a height of 6-foot-5, coupled with an explosive forehand. But Martin points to another factor that will probably take Raonic to the top of the game faster than anyone thought possible. "He has belief," he says. "He got himself out of a 2-6 situation in the first-set tiebreak of his final against Fernando Verdasco in San Jose by grabbing the one opening Verdasco gave him and won it 8-6. He believes he can win. Huge asset."
McEnroe wants to take a closer look. Before he and Wilander closed down Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach for a light-hearted street exhibition, the former world No. 1 said, "I'd left Australia by the time he made his run but everyone was talking about him so I searched Tennis Channel for some of his matches in San Jose. He's obviously got potential. He's creating a buzz. That's good for the game in North America."
