LONDON – The numbers dont look promising for Milos Raonic when it comes to his semi-final showdown against Roger Federer at Wimbledon. Custom Nike Chicago Cubs Jerseys . Consider the following: * Federer has won 17 grand slam titles, including seven at the All England Club. Raonic, meanwhile, is playing in his first ever slam semifinal. * Raonic has lost seven straight matches against top-four players dating back to 2012. Federer is currently ranked No. 4. * Raonic has never beaten Federer in four tries and the most recent match, at the 2013 Australian Open, ended in straight sets. That was their only previous encounter at a slam. * Federer is the most successful active player on grass with a 130-18 career record and 14 titles. Before this tournament, Raonic had never made it past the second round at Wimbledon and had a sub-.500 record on grass. * Federer has never lost a Wimbledon semifinal in eight previous appearances. Did we mention Raonic has never played in any slam semifinal? So, it seems pretty bleak for the 23-year-old, right? Not so according to Raonic, who is aiming to become the first Canadian man to ever make a major final. Heres what he had to say when asked about facing Federer on a court where hes had the most success in his career - a career that may go down as the best ever. "Im going to step out there and Im not playing the seven-time Wimbledon champion. Im not playing a 32-year-old man. Im not playing the father of two sets of twins, which is a very low possibility bet to do. Im not playing the guy thats won whatever hes won, which I could probably list quite vividly. Im playing a guy that is standing in my way of what I want to achieve, and Ive got to focus on everything thats there, on the situation, how best to deal with it to give myself the best possibilities to achieve what I want." Raonic understands how big a win could be for him on Friday. It could be a career-defining moment. "It can be if I get the job done. I focus on what I need to do. Everything else is a ripple effect. Everything else is a reason. I have to create the cause for it by playing good tennis and giving myself the possibility to win." As for those four previous losses to Federer? "Hes gotten the better of me all four times, but I havent played him in more than a year, a year and a bit, so I think Im a different player," Raonic said. "Ive got in close with him in the past. Ive found a lot of those things [that will help me] sort of pull away. That gives me a lot of belief that I can do this. "So theres no point to talk about it. Ive got to step up and do it." Cheap Custom Nike Baseball Jerseys . Williams withdrawal came less than 24 hours after losing in the final Auckland WTA tournament final. "I dont believe she has an injury," Hobart tournament director Mark Handley said. Custom Nike St. Louis Cardinals Jerseys . Never caused problems. Never raised a ruckus. Never got sick or hurt while frolicking in the fields of Claiborne Farm in Paris, Ky. https://www.customnikebaseballjerseys.com/ . -- Andy Dorman and Kelyn Rowe scored in the second half to lead the New England Revolution to a 2-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City in the first leg of their Eastern Conference semifinals series on Saturday night.MINSK, Belarus -- Alain Vigneault is back in the conference final with the New York Rangers, and at least one of his former Vancouver players couldnt be happier. "For Alain, Im happy for him that he got back there so quickly," Canucks defenceman and Team Canada captain Kevin Bieksa said. "Hes a good coach and hes obviously been there before and he took us there. We had a lot of really good years together. Absolutely were cheering for him and hope they do well." Bieksa is one of a handful of Vigneaults former players casually following his playoff run from afar at the world hockey championship, three years after the Canucks came one victory short of the franchises first Stanley Cup. After beating the Montreal Canadiens twice at Bell Centre, Vigneault and the Rangers are two victories away from making the final. Joining Bieksa on Team Canada are Canucks teammates Jason Garrison and Alex Burrows. Garrison only played one season under Vigneault, and so he doesnt have as deep a connection to him as those on the 2011 Cup final team. Unlike Bieksa, Garrison isnt necessarily cheering for Vigneault and the Rangers. "Its tough to root for success on another team, thats for sure," Garrison said. "Its notable, kind of the season hes having and the playoffs that hes having. ... Butt thats about it. Wholesale Custom Nike Baseball Jerseys. Other than that, if anything, youre jealous." Its natural for former Canucks to feel a little jealous, considering they missed the playoffs under former Rangers coach John Tortorella in a season that cost him and general manager Mike Gillis their jobs. If they were still playing, Bieksa, Garrison, Burrows, Denmarks Jannik Hansen and Niclas Jensen, Switzerlands Yannick Weber and Swedens Joacim Eriksson wouldnt be in Minsk. Among them, only Bieksa, Burrows, Garrison and Hansen played for Vigneault. Even though things went sour in 2013, Garrison doesnt have anything bad to say about how the 53-year-old Quebec City native handled a veteran Vancouver team. "Guys respected him and he respected the players," Garrison said. "He was a good person, and I had no complaints at all." Bieksa played for Vigneault for seven seasons during which the Canucks went to the playoffs all but one year. The 32-year-old doesnt share Garrisons tinge of competitive jealousy. "Its a different team, a different conference," Bieksa said. "I dont really have jealousy. It would be different if it were, like, a good friend or a former teammate." The Rangers have only one of those in Raphael Diaz, who played just six games in Vancouver. ' ' '