Raonic blasts 31 aces to power past Popyrin

Milos R aonic hit 31 aces to beat Australian qualifier Alexei Popyrin 6-7 (6), 6-4, 7- 6 (4) in the first round of the Stuttgart Open.

The sixth-seeded R aonic, who lost last year’s final to Roger Federer, will now face Jo-Wilfried Tsong a at the grass-court tournament.

Fellow Canadian Felix Auger-aliassime also won, beating Ernests Gulbis 7-5, 6-3, but Germany’s Jan-lennard Struff defeated Denis Shapovalov 7-5, 6 -4. Struff also beat the 20- year-old Canadian in the first round of the French Open.

Fifth-seeded Gael Monfils defeated American Steve Johnson 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (6).

Denis Kudla had no difficulties against Croatian qualifier Viktor Galovic, winning 6-3, 6-2.

Dust in Brown set up an all-German meeting with topseeded Alexander Zverev by beating John Mill man 6-4, 7- 6 (3). Matteo Berrettini, Lucas Pouille, Marton Fucsovics and Gilles Simon also advanced. The Stuttgart Open made the switch from clay to grass in 2015.

•Top seed Kiki Bertens powered into round two of the Libema Open in ’s-hertogenbosch but second seed Aryna Sabalenka suffered a shock exit to Australian teenager Destanee Aiava.

B er tens had been forced out of her second-round clash with Viktoria Kuzmova at the French Op en because of gastrointestinal illness. But the Dutchwoman showed she had made a full recovery by coasting past her former doubles partner Johanna Larsson 6-3, 6-1 in just under an hour to delight the home crowd.

There was, though, disappointment for Sabalenka as the world No 10 was defeated in three sets by wildcard Aiava, the 19-year- old pro - gressing 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-4 after she won five of the last six games in the deciding set. Third seed Elise M er tens also crashed out when she lost 6-4, 6-2 to Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova.

The Nature Valley Open in Nottingham saw no action for a second day due to rain.