Raonic opens Australian Open with straight sets win
Third seed Milos Raonic got off to a good start at the 2017 Australian Open, winning his first round match in straight sets.
Raonic defeated German Dustin Brown, ranked 70th in the world, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in one hour 32 minutes.
Canada’s Milos Raonic makes a backhand return to Germany’s Dustin Brown during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
The two men were on serve in the 32-minute first set until the eighth game when Brown double faulted to give Raonic the break and a 5-3 lead. The Canadian served out the set, clinching when Brown put a backhand into the net. Raonic won 94 per cent of his first serves, including five aces. He would eventually finish the match with 18.
In the second set, Raonic got the break in the fifth game to go up 3-2. He followed up with a love point on his serve, punctuated by an ace, to lead 4-2, and was equally efficient on his next service game, putting him ahead 5-3. Serving for the set, he allowed Brown to have a break point chance but he couldn’t capitalize. Raonic delivered two straight aces for the advantage and the set.
Canada’s Milos Raonic, right, is congratulated by Germany’s Dustin Brown following their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
The third set began with Raonic breaking Brown in the opening game. He got in trouble on his own serve the next game, as Brown got up 40-15, but he battled back to hold. Raonic later got another break on a forehand winner to go up 4-1. Serving for the match, he got Brown to return into the net.
This was just their second ever meeting. The last came in the first round at last year’s US Open, also won by Raonic. His next opponent will either be Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller or American Taylor Fritz.
