Citi Open: Raonic outlasts Mahut to advance to Round of 16

Rudi Schuller

Citi Open: Raonic outlasts Mahut to advance to Round of 16 image

It was anything but an easy start to Milos Raonic's tournament, but the Canadian eventually won his opening match at the Citi Open in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

Providing the opposition was Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, who took Raonic to tiebreaks in both sets of their match. The 26-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., ultimately claimed a 7-6(2), 7-6(8) victory while displaying a variety of point-winning methods but still relying heavily on his strong service game.

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Raonic's trademark power was on display on Thursday and the Canadian used it to get the edge over Mahut. He hit seven aces through his first five service games, with one of his early serves registering at 142 mph.

He hit his high mark early in the second set, blasting a 151 mph ace past a helpless Mahut. Raonic finished the match with 26 aces.

Currently ranked 10th in the world, Raonic will face Marcos Baghdatis in the Round of 16.

Rudi Schuller