Milos Raonic topples Federer to win the title — ATP BRISBANE

After racing through the first set with a display of nearly ideal tennis, Federer, who has been battling illness this week, seemed to tire in the second as Dimitrov grew in confidence.

A double-fault from Federer and then a backhand into the net gave the Canadian his first break at 5-4, before Raonic served successfully for the first set.

Fourth-seeded Raonic lost the 2015 decider to Roger Federer and could meet the 17-time major victor in the championship match again. “Body is not quite ready, so it’s good to get through it without any issues”.

“He’s been good, but then top 10 is another story”, said Federer, who will face Raonic in the final following his 6-1 6-4 win over Dominic Thiem.

Fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber, the highest-ranked woman remaining in Brisbane, advanced past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-4, and will next play No. 6-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro, who held off Varvara Lepchenko 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.

“Before, when you would see him play you would be, okay, he has a hot streak for a period of time and you see how it’s going to carry him through a 12-month season”, Raonic said. “You understand the speeds more and you’re more comfortable”.

Victoria Azarenka is in good form ahead of the year’s first Grand Slam – Australian Open.

Big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic said he was confident of Grand Slam success this year after stunning Roger Federer to win the Brisbane International on Sunday.

In Auckland, New Zealand, Julia Goerges reached her sixth WTA final and her first in four years when she beat qualifier Tamira Paszek 6-4, 6-2 in the ASB Classic semifinals.

Bernard Tomic says he’s never felt better heading into an Australian Open campaign despite falling agonisingly short of a berth in the final of his hometown tournament.

The top-seeded Indo-Swiss duo defeated the Slovak-Russian combination of Andreja Klepac and Alla Kudryavtseva 6-3 7-5 to make the summit clash. I think he’s done a lot of progress in the past few years. Also, this is Sania’s second victory here after partnering American Bethanie Mattek-Sands all the way to the title in 2013 while Martina was the defending champion, having sealed the crown with German Sabine Lisicki past year. “It was very special because it was a final… plus, Rod Laver and Roy Emerson were on the court to hand me the trophy and be in the picture with me and the number 1,000”.

It was Azarenka’s first title since she won in Cincinnati in August, 2013.

But Nishikori responded right away in the second set.

Tomic showed his nerve early in the third set.

Although Nadal’s game has been much improved since certain points of last season, I still like the Serbian’s odds of capturing the Doha title in straight sets tomorrow.

“This is a tough, tough level”, Tomic said.