Milos Raonic bounces back against Michael Llodra in first round – Shanghai Rolex Masters 2011
Milos Raonic, Canadian world No.31, blazed past the French world No.33, Michael Llodra in the opening round of Shanghai Rolex Masters 2011 on Tuesday, 11thOctober. Playing at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, the
20-year-old bedazzled his opponent with a superb comeback in a long 2 hour and 17 minutes match winning 6-7(2), 6-2 and 7-6(5).
Opening up the match, Llodra served first and rolled down the scoreboard, 1-0. Following with an opening serve winner, Raonic levelled up the scores at 1-1 and switched the serve. The 31-year-old continued, storming away another
winner with a triple game point and led the set, 2-1.
The two kept on rallying out games, unable to break each other, the set flared up with the 20-year-old levelling up each time the world No.33 led, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5. Moving on with a win each next, two set tied up in a tiebreaker
with Llodra to serve out first.
Llodra, serving out the first two points took the lead, 2-0, and commanded the tiebreaker. Raonic did win points, however, not more than 2. Clearing up the tiebreaker, 7-2, the Frenchman bagged the first set, 7-6(2), and moved
on to set 2.
Raonic, world No.31, struck back in set 2 with a marvellous 6-2 knock out. Serving out the first game, Raonic broke the world No.33 in game 2 captivating a 2 games lead over the veteran. Working out the 3rd game, the
Canadian extended his lead to 3-0 before Llodra opened up his part of the scores, 3-1.
Standing down with a rock solid defence, Raonic kept on hampering the 31-year-old as he went away bagging the 5th game as well, 4-1. With just two more game to level up the match scores, the 20-year-old served out game
7 and broke the 8th is a thunderous comeback winner, 6-2, to level up the set score, 1-1.
Firing up the decider, Raonic continued to serve first and took out the first game, followed up by the Frenchman levelling up next, 1-1. Winning game 3, 2-1, the Canadian 20-year-old broke his opponent, game 4, and served out game
5 to lead on 4-1 in the set.
With a game win each for the two, 5-2, Raonic required one more game to win the match, however, Llodra pulled back considerably, as he served-broke-served next and levelled up the scores at 5-5. Leading on to a tiebreaker the match
intensified as Raonic had already lost a tiebreaker in the match.
However, Raonic pulled off a win this time, swirling away 7-5 in the tiebreaker and the set, 7-6(5), to win the match. Raonic now moves into the second round where he will play third seeded, David Ferrer.
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