Australian Open 2019: Milos Raonic outlasts Stan Wawrinka in second-round marathon

Rudi Schuller

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Australian Open 2019: Milos Raonic outlasts Stan Wawrinka in second-round marathon image

Milos Raonic advanced to the third round of the 2019 Australian Open after a four-hour marathon against 33-year-old Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka on Thursday.

In what was a battle of players who were each ranked third in the world at an earlier point in their respective careers, Raonic and Wawrinka showed that there is still very little to separate them. Raonic, currently No. 17 in the world rankings, took four hours and one minute to defeat current No. 59 Wawrinka in a match that needed tiebreaks to decide all four sets.

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In the end, the 28-year-old Canadian prevailed 6-7(4), 7-6(6), 7-6(11), 7-6(5).

As would be the case throughout the match, there was almost nothing separating the hard-serving players in the first set. Raonic won 44 points to Wawrinka's 43, but it was the Swiss veteran who did enough to claim the opening frame in a tiebreak. Raonic squandered four break point opportunities that could have been the difference early.

It was much the same in the second set, with both players smacking the ball hard and giving little opportunity for break points. Raonic managed to break Wawrinka's serve early in the set, but the Swiss returned the favour five games later as neither man looked to give an inch.

Predictably, the set required a tiebreak, this time with Raonic claming the advantage.

The third set was even more straightforward, with neither man even having an opportunity for a break point. With both Raonic and Wawrinka holding serve until yet another tiebreak was needed, the most noteworthy event in the set was a brief rain delay that required workers to dry the court while the roof was closed at Rod Laver Arena.

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Of course, the tiebreak itself was rather noteworthy as well, with 24 points required to decide the set.

Much like the third set, the fourth saw one player convert an early break point only for the other to do the same later on. The result meant a fourth consecutive tiebreak, which an exhausted Raonic took with three straight points to end the match.

Raonic will face Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the third round.

Rudi Schuller