Raonic Outmaneuvered by De Minaur in Libema Open Quarters 

Milos Raonic made a robust return to the tour on the lawns of s-Hertogenbosch this week, however his first event since Indian Wells got here to an finish on Friday by the hands of Alex de Minaur on the Libema Open. 

In a matchup of energy vs pace, it was the top-seeded Aussie who received the higher hand, negating the Canadian’s huge hitting and fixing his mighty serve sufficient occasions to assert a 7-5, 6-2 win. 

Whereas Raonic did have eight aces and received 76 per cent of his first serve factors, he solely put 58 per cent of them in play and when he missed his first supply, de Minaur took benefit, successful 76 per cent of the Canadian’s second serve factors. The Aussie managed to interrupt the mighty serve 4 occasions on seven break level possibilities.  

De Minaur didn’t want a lot time to resolve the Raonic serve, going up love-40 within the fifth sport and changing the third break level to get an early lead. Nonetheless, he couldn’t preserve the benefit, lacking a forehand at hand the break proper again within the very subsequent sport. 

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Rain pressured them off the courtroom for 2 and a half hours with the Aussie serving at 3-4.  

Late within the set after the restart, Raonic had possibilities to steal the set with love-30 and love-40 leads on the Aussie’s serve. Nonetheless, between these video games de Minaur was capable of benefit from his opening, curling a forehand passing shot up the road to interrupt for a 6-5 lead. 

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Raonic had had an opportunity to interrupt again because the Aussie served for it however dedicated three straight unforced errors from triple break level up earlier than de Minaur closed out the opener. 

By means of three video games within the second set, Raonic held a 2-1 lead. The remainder of the match was one-way site visitors for the Aussie who now had an excellent learn on the Raonic serve and took full benefit of the Canadian’s second supply. 

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At 2-2, Raonic despatched a forehand lengthy to give up a love break. The subsequent time he stepped as much as serve at 2-4, the Canadian was once more damaged to like. De Minaur completed the match having received the final 5 video games in a row. 

Raonic made his return to the tour after a two-year absence at this identical occasion, dropping in spherical two to Jordan Thompson. He avenged that loss in spherical one this 12 months after which beat Roberto Bautista Agut in spherical two to succeed in his second quarter-final of 2024.  

This occasion was the primary for Raonic in 2024 that didn’t finish with an harm withdrawal.