Google News Novak Djokovic: Playing Milos Raonic in Montenegro would have been a great spectacle
by DZEVAD MESIC
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic claims he and former world No. 3 Milos Raonic badly wanted to clash against each other in an exhibition match in Montenegro but the deal fell through because the Canadian couldn't come to Montenegro.
Last week, the Serbian tennis superstar Djokovic returned to Serbia after a two-month quarantine with his family in Marbella, and announced his plans to launch the Adria Tour in the upcoming period. The plan is to stage the Adria Tour across four Balkan countries -- Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro -- the Tour would run from June 13 - July 5.
The fact that Raonic badly wanted to play against 17-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic shouldn't come as a surprise as the-big serving player was born in Podgorica, the capital city of Montenegro. "Too bad. Milos also really wanted to play in Montenegro.
Me and Milos playing against each other in Montenegro would have been a big spectacle. Unfortunately, that's not possible in this period but maybe sometime in the future (we get to play against each other in Montenegro)," Djokovic said, as revealed on Vijesti.
Novak Djokovic dominates the head-to-head against Milos Raonic
Djokovic, who turned 33 last week, has never had problems against 2016 Wimbledon runner-up Raonic as he owns a dominant 10-0 head-to-head record against the Canadian.
Raonic, an eight-time ATP champion, has been one of the best players on the Tour over the last decade but still he has been struggling mightily against the world No. 1. It took a bit time to see the first clash between Djokovic and Raonic as the two clashed for the first time in 2013 -- in a Davis Cup match -- which the Serb won in straight sets.
Since then, they have met nine more times and the Canadian managed on only two occasions to force a deciding set against the Serb. At the Rome Masters in 2014, Raonic was beaten by Djokovic after winning the first set and four years later at the Cincinnati Masters the Canadian forced a deciding set against the Serb, before he also lost.
Despite the one-sided head-to-head record, having a Novak Djokovic and Raonic clash would have been a major sporting event for the local crowd in Montenegro.