Milos Raonic’s bid for a first title on home soil continues to gather momentum with the No. 4 seed easily dismissing #NextGen qualifier Jared Donaldson at the Rogers Cup on Thursday. The Canadian sent the World No. 147 in the Emirates ATP Rankings packing 6-2, 6-3 in just 72 minutes to reach the quarter-finals for the fourth time.

Raonic broke the 19 year old’s opening serve to go up 2-0 and again for the set at 5-2. The American – coming off a career-best win over last week’s Umag champion, Fabio Fognini, in the previous round – was unable to make inroads against Raonic. He was broken again for 2-0 in the second and it was enough to see the Canadian through. Raonic served it out on his first match point.

"I am doing things well. I'm taking care of my own things, creating some opportunities," Raonic said. "I'm going for the shots. I'm taking time away from the other guy, making the guy, from what I can tell ... uncomfortable, not giving him too much rhythm. That always helps me."

Having reached the Rogers Cup final before (2013, l. to Nadal) in Montreal, Raonic will be looking to progress beyond the quarter-finals for the first time in Toronto. He next meets No. 10 seed Gael Monfils after the Frenchman upset No. 7 seed David Goffin earlier, 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-4.

"I've got to play well. I have to dictate," Raonic said of facing the No. 10 seed. "I have been able to get the better of him twice this year because I was controlling the court and taking time away from him coming forward.

"He can do a lot of things. He can make you play a lot of balls. If you sort of take the time away from him then you make it difficult on him. I'm going to have to continue doing that."

Monfils has now won eight matches in a row, dating back to his championship run last week at the ATP World Tour 500 event in Washington, D.C., which was his biggest title yet. “I feel happy that I managed to win this one,” he said.

The 29 year old will look to make it nine straight victories against home favourite Raonic. His defeat of Goffin matches his best run in Canada (2011, l. to Djokovic).

“He had a very good option in the first set in the breaker, a good lead. Somehow I managed to [win] it. I don't even know how," Monfils said. Goffin stormed back in the second set and looked to be on his way to taking the third set when he had a break point at 4-4. 

But Monfils erased it and held, and on his second match point, Goffin slapped a backhand that caught the net cord and bounced back.