Australian Open – Day 4 (2R)

A young Canadian qualifier (was a set and a break down in his last qualifying match) of Montenegrin origin, 20-year-old Milos Raonic [152] is tall (6’5″ – 196 cm), possesses a huge serve and good nerves. Is he a material for the best player of Canada in the Open era? Time will tell, today he won his second straight match after #an identical scoreline – 7-6, 6-3, 7-6 – out-serving (21-10 in aces) inconsistent Michael Llodra [24]. Raonic states: “This is my biggest result. It’s my biggest achievement to date. But I hope to do more than this. I feel like I can. I feel like I’m playing at a level that I’m still there and I’m there with the top guys“. Also two tie-breaks and a set won ‘6-3’ needed Australian hope of Bosnian/Croatian descent – Bernard Tomic [199], and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga [13], but in different configurations – Tomic against Feliciano Lopez [31] won the first two sets after tie-breaks, Tsonga against Andreas Seppi [51] the last two. For both, Raonic and almost two years younger Tomic, the third round at the Australian Open is the best achievement at the main level in their short careers. Ahead of Tomic is much more difficult task in the next round as he faces the top seed and the main title contender Rafael Nadal [1], who has lost only four games in two matches in Melbourne this year!!
Jan Hernych [241] luckily escaped from the second nightmarish defeat in Melbourne within three editions. Two years ago in the first round, he wasted a match point in the 3rd and 4th set of his match against Victor Hanescu, and couldn’t seal the win also serving for the match in the 5th set! Today against Thomaz Bellucci [31], lost the 2nd set wasting a couple set points in the tie-break, lost the 4th set wasting a 3:1* (40-30) lead and was 0-30 down serving at 4:4 in the 5th set, having already a *3:1 lead. Eventually he prevailed after 4 1/2 hour by an 8-6 margin in the decisive set.

Longest match:
4 hours, 31 minutes: Jan Hernych d. Thomaz Bellucci 6-2, 6-7(11), 6-4, 6-7(3), 8-6

Most aces:
25 – Thomaz Bellucci, lost in five sets to Jan Hernych

5-set barometer:

14-9 Mikhail Youzhny
3-4 Thomaz Bellucci
3-3 Jan Hernych
1-1 Blaz Kavcic

# Raonic’s first two round at the Australian Open 2011:

1R: Raonic d. Phau 7-6(3), 6-3, 7-6(8) – 27 aces (2 hrs. 7 min.)
2R: Raonic d. Llodra 7-6(3), 6-3, 7-6(4) – 21 aces (2 hrs. 18 min.)

# Raonic saved a set point only in the 3rd set against Phau (7:8* in the TB)