Raonic falls to Lopez in Rogers Cup quarterfinal

TORONTO -- Feliciano Lopez had nine lives in the deciding third set against Canada's Milos Raonic before escaping with a 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 win in Thursday’s quarterfinal match at Rogers Cup.

Advancing to his third career ATP Masters 1000 final, the 32-year-old Spaniard admitted he’d never experienced anything like the more than 12-minute fifth game where he saved nine break points.

“To face, I don’t know, nine? I don't think so,” said Lopez. “It's too much.”

“I mean, to save nine break points in the same game, even though I played great most of them, I have to get a little bit lucky.”

Whatever role luck played during that service game, chance had nothing to do with the dreadful returns Raonic played throughout the match. Before leveling the score in the second-set tiebreak, the Canadian was winning only six percent of the points on Lopez’s first serve, which was regularly cracking well into the 200 km range.

"He stepped up and played well on the important moments, especially on his service," said Raonic. "I just need to show in a few situations more courage and go for a little bit more. Not just that third set but all throughout the match. 

"I just felt like I never let it go through or impose myself, and I think that's what cost me over time."

Facing a worked up Canadian crowd at a sold out Rexall Centre, world No. 25 Lopez admitted the atmosphere was getting to him.

“When the match was close at the end I was feeling the pressure,” said Lopez. “When I was missing my first serve they were yelling a little bit more than normal but this is tennis and we are playing in Canada and I totally understand. It's normal.

“If we would have played in Madrid it would be the same with me.”

Lopez certainly wasn’t distracted enough to ease up on the barrage of slices to Raonic’s backhand, which forced the Canadian giant down low -- not exactly his comfort zone -- and played a huge role in his 33 unforced errors versus just 19 from the Spaniard.

"The thing I would say that I can take away most from this match is making sure I step up in certain moments and really go for it," said Raonic. "Try to make a difference rather than sort of just staying a little bit too much and too passive and letting things happen to me."

Conceding that he didn’t bring his best tennis to the quarterfinal, Raonic is feeling optimistic about the road to the US Open, having already won Washington's Citi Open and heading to Cincinnati with Flushing Meadows on the horizon.

"I feel good," said Raonic. "I may not show it right now, but in general when I sort of step away from this after a little bit of time, everything is going the right way. 

"I'm competing well and fighting well, and I know I can play much better tennis. The goal has always been get better each week to be playing my best tennis in New York, and that's what I'm most looking forward to. Cincinnati is the next step to getting better."