Raonic powers way into second round
Eighth-seeded Canadian fires 28 aces — topping out at 228 km/h — to win in three sets
— Canadian Milos Raonic finished a 7-6 (3), 7-6(3), 6-3 victory over Ukraine’s Illya Marchenko with an ace on Tuesday in the first round of the Australian Open.
Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., who lost the Brisbane final this month to Roger Federer, fired 28 untouchable serves, his best at 228 km/h.
“I’m very happy with how I played,” Raonic said. “I competed well and managed to get through.
“I’m hoping 2015 can be my year. I’ve put in a lot of work and I believe I can do win a Grand Slam title. I’ve come here to play.”
He will face Donald Young of the United States in the second round of the Grand Slam tournament. Young beat Tim Puetz of Germany, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. Raonic beat Young twice last season, first in Washington, D.C., then indoors in Basel, Switzerland.
Raonic concluded Tuesday’s match with his trademark stinging serve, joining Monday winner Eugenie Bouchard of Westmount, Que., in the second round in straight sets.
Vancouver’s Vasek Pospisil played later Tuesday, facing American Sam Querrey in the first round.
Meanwhile, Stan Wawrinka began the defence of his title with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win over Marsel Ilhan, taking less than 11/2 hours to breeze through the first round.
Wawrinka was barely tested against the No. 100-ranked Ilhan, striking 34 winners and saving the only two break points he faced.
In a breakthrough 2014 season, Wawrinka claimed his first Grand Slam title, reached a career-high ranking of No. 3 and helped Roger Federer win the Davis Cup for Switzerland for the first time.
He warmed up for the seasonopening major by defending his title at the Chennai Open.
One other player widely considered to be in the next generation of major winners advanced in straight sets, with No. 5 Kei Nishikori beating Nicolas Almagro 6-4, 7-6 (1), 6-2.
No. 12 Feliciano Lopez struggled past American wild-card entry Denis Kudla 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 10-8, No. 18 Gilles Simon beat Robin Haase 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 and No. 19 John Isner beat Taiwanese qualifier Jimmy Wang 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-4. No. 16 Fabio Fognini lost in four sets to Alejandro Gonzalez.
Nishikori, returning to Grand Slam action for the first time since his run to the U.S. Open final, dropped his opening service game, but recovered the break quickly and weathered a difficult opening match against Almagro.
Nishikori is coming off a big year in 2014 when he became the first Asian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final. He’s determined to go one better and win a major.
“Yeah for sure that was one of my best results in my career that gave me a lot of confidence,” the Japanese star said. “I beat a lot of top 10 players.”
Two-time champion Victoria Azarenka continued her comeback from a foot injury with a convincing 6-3, 6-2 win over Sloane Stephens and will next have to play U.S. Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki, who beat 18-year-old Taylor Townsend 7-6 (1), 6-2.
No. 11 Dominika Cibulkova, a finalist here last year, opened with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 comeback win against Kirsten Flipkens.
Limited to just nine tournaments last year, Azarenka’s ranking has fallen to No. 44 and she is unseeded at a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2007 U.S. Open.