Hot News: Milos Raonic runs out of chances at Rogers Cup in Toronto

TORONTO - The other day, Milos Raonic was talking about how he wasn't a morning person.

Given the choice, he said he'd much rather play at night. He even requested it this week at the Rogers Cup. Something about playing on Centre Court when the sun goes down and the lights come on. The crowds are bigger. The atmosphere is heightened.

The word Raonic used was 'hardcore.'

It was another way of saying that the world No. 6 from Thornhill, Ont., was not afraid of the spotlight. In fact, he embraced it.

Friday night was another big moment under the big lights for the battle-tested 23-year-old. If he won, he would advance to the semi-finals and set up a potential Wimbledon re-match against Roger Federer. But in front of a packed crowd that performed the wave and was firmly in the Canadian's corner all night, Raonic's run finally came to an end in a 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4 to world No. 25 Feliciano Lopez of Spain.

'Yeah, he did a good job,' Raonic said of Lopez, who plays the winner of Federer and David Ferrer in the semi-final on Saturday. 'He stepped up and played well on the important moments, especially on his service game.

'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.'

It was a tough loss for Raonic. Not as tough as losing to Federer at Wimbledon last month, which he said 'has a different kind of sting or burn to it.' But on a night when he had nine - nine! - opportunities to break serve during an early game in the final set, it was a match that he should have won.

'I have had nine break points. Not nine in the same game,' said Raonic, with a smile. 'But he came up with some good serves. I came up with one great return on a second serve. He played that point well. Not much I could do. He just played good courage and he went for it and it paid off for him.'

Raonic entered Friday night's match with a 2-1 career record against Lopez, with the Canadian winning twice on hard court and Lopez on clay. But every match is different. And Lopez frustrated Raonic with a serve that never broke and a attacking strategy that relied on backhand slices and volleying almost everything that came over the net.

'My game plan basically is to be aggressive,' said Lopez. 'This is the way I have to play every player. I mean, with Milos I have to be aggressive, because if not, he's going to dominate. But I have been doing this game the whole week and it was working perfectly. So for me there was no reason to change playing Milos today.'

Raonic, who hit 33 unforced errors, could not find his rhythm early on. In the first set, Raonic mishit a number of balls and committed 11 unforced errors. Serving at love-40 in the sixth game, Raonic launched a forehand that nearly landed in the front row.

'I think it was only about adjusting really to the serve,' said Raonic. 'But 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 and 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.'

Things settled down in the second set. Raonic still could not figure Lopez's serve, which offered no chances of breaking, but he once again came through when he needed it the most on the tiebreak.

With Lopez leading 4-3, Raonic fired two aces and then found a way to negate Lopez's net attack to win 7-5. It was his ninth consecutive tiebreak win and improved his record on the season to 21-8 (last year he was 20-19).

There were plenty of opportunities for Raonic to build on the tiebreak win. Tied 2-2 in the third set, he had nine break point opportunities. But Lopez, who held serve throughout the entire match, fought each one of them off. A few games later and the roles reversed.

Lopez had two break points and he made the most of it to break Raonic for a second time in the match and go ahead 5-3. He then held serve for the match.

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

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