Milos Raonic gave Richard Gasquet a straight sets upset in first round – Western and Southern Open
Canadian number one, Milos Raonic, disposed of the Frenchman, Richard Gasquet, in straight sets of 7-6(4), 6-3 in the first round of the Western and Southern Open held on Tuesday. The former world number seven, Gasquet, had qualified
for the final in the Toronto Masters against the top seeded Novak Djokovic but was stunned by the tall Canadian in the very first match of the Cincinnati Masters.
In a post match press conference, Raonic told the media, “I was hoping to play a little bit better last week. Coming here, I'm playing better. I still have a long ways to go, but I feel like I am on the right track. I just need
to do a few things better, and I think I will be setting myself on the right course. I need to create a little bit with my serve. I was not picking up enough free points. I just need to sort of kick through and go for it and just try to make the most of it.
I think there will be opportunities.”
Ranked 19th in the ATP World Tour Rankings, Raonic defeated his rival in a 90-minute brawl. Ever since the start, he maintained his lead but had to face a tough competition at the hands of Frenchman. Nevertheless, after
a fierce battle between the two, the Canadian was able to wrap up his victory and emerge as a surprised winner after the tie-breaker round.
Gasquet had a high serve percentage of 65 percent with high break points score of three out of four in the match. On the other hand, Raonic was able to secure 12 aces throughout the match. Both players had a levelled serve precision
in the initial set.
In the second set, the Canadian professional adopted a more aggressive stance than before. He took off a dynamic start in the set and nailed his 4-2 breakthrough in the game. He was only able to break Gasquet’s serve once in the
match.
The Thornhill native has drastically improved his performance this year and is determined to beat all odds in the coming rounds. He will compete against the Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis in the second round of the Cincinnati
Masters.
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