"The Maple Leaf Missile" wins first ATP Title

San Jose, CA USA

His serve is a nuclear bomb.

Some have thus dubbed him: "The Maple Leaf Missile".

20 year-old Canadian Milos Raonic upset top seed and World No. 9 Fernando Verdasco in straight sets at the SAP Open finals in San Jose.

The final score read 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), and match time was 1 hour & 51 minutes. Raonic is the first Canadian to win an ATP singles title since Greg Rusedski in 1995, who went on to become a British citizen.

The 6'5" Raonic sports a huge serve which can reach close to 150 MPH, together with crisp volleys and powerful groundstrokes. Many invoke the obvious comparisons to the legendary Pete Sampras. Raonic's second serve, like that of Sampras, can be equally deadly.

Veteran American James Blake, who lost to Raonic in the second round, bemoaned: “I watched Milos ace me with a second serve tonight and it was around 123. It's a big difference in how the game has changed in technology and how the game is getting bigger."

Raonic started the 2011 season ranked 156th in the world. His victory in San Jose will elevate him to No. 59, making him one of the fastest-rising young stars on the men's tennis.

"It's been amazing," Raonic said after winning his first tournament on tour. "I can't stop smiling."

Congrats, Milos.
Gary