Milos Raonic falls to Andy Murray in a heavyweight, high-quality final at Queen's Club

Until a set and 3-0, when Milos Raonic had converted his only break-point opportunity of the Queen’s Club final against Andy Murray and was a point away from a 4-1 lead, he looked for all the world as though he were on course to deny his opponent his tournament record fifth title.

But then, a matter of inches in a game he should have put away, it began to slip away.

Murray, the No. 1 seed, began reading Raonic’s serve better, returned better as a consequence, and gradually eroded Raonic’s effectiveness at the net in a 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-3 victory that was heavyweight grass-court tennis of the highest quality.

The two shots Raonic missed in that 3-1 game were out by … this much.

The second required a challenge by Murray to overturn it.

“It’s a lot of fun to play here. It’s my first time playing on a Sunday on grass, and hopefully I can maybe have a rematch a couple of Sundays away,” a smiling Raonic said. “I’m feeling pretty good out here. It’s good progress that I’ve made throughout this week. I’ve improved each and every day.”

It’s the fifth consecutive time Murray has beaten Raonic, on all the different surfaces now. In the battle of a world-class server against a world-class returner, the returner won. Not by much, but by just enough.

Considering Raonic could easily have been out in the first round at the hands of Australia’s Nick Kyrgios, the week turned out well. And the return to the aggressive, net-rushing game he first displayed on the Australian hard courts earlier this year is timely.

There have been some physical issues since then, which might have contributed to his losing his way there a little bit. And it’s a more complicated game to play on the clay. But the upside of the week for Raonic is that he looked extremely healthy, and moved beautifully. And the volleys looked improved even from then, with a little touch and consistency added.

With Wimbledon starting in a week, that’s great news.

Asked where else he could serve to Murray, who hit two brilliant returns – off big first serves – in succession to break in that pivotal 3-1 game, Raonic had jokes. “Try to go through him. Maybe I can blow a whole through his stomach next time,” he said.

In a lot of quarters, it was almost as though this match was being played by Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe, not Murray and Raonic. Lendl, who coached Murray when he won Wimbledon in 2012, was back by his side this week. And McEnroe, who made a cameo appearance in Paris at the French Open after his collaboration with Raonic was announced, has been there through a full week of practice and now a full week of tournament play.

The cameras were on those two almost as much as they were on the players themselves. And it was entertaining to contrast Lendl’s poker face to McEnroe’s jittery enthousiasm.

McEnroe was on hand for the trophy ceremony, where Murray paid homage to the talent of the grass-court genius who won at Queen’s Club four times.

Lendl? He was gone even before Murray ran over to his supporters’ box to give fist pumps to his team.

“It was nice of him to stick around for the presentation. I don’t know where he’s off to,” Murray laughed.

In other Canadian news, Gloucester, Ont’’s Gabriela Dabrowski and Spanish partner Maria José Martínez Sanchez won the doubles title at the inaugural Mallorca Open, defeating Anna-Lena Friedsam and Laura Siegemund of Germany 6-4, 6-2 in the final. It’s the third career WTA Tour title for Dabrowski.

As well, the inimitable Frank Dancevic followed up his wardrobe-impaired win in the first round of qualifying at the Nottingham ATP tournament with another Sunday, a 7-6 (5), 6-3 win over huge-serving Sam Groth of Australia.

Dancevic will meet wild card Brit Alexander Ward in the first round of the main draw.