Former Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic has set up an explosive third-round Australian Open shootout with Greek sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Continuing his comeback from an injury-marred 2019, Raonic outclassed exciting young Chilean Cristian Garin 6-3 6-4 6-2 as sixth seed Tsitsipas – a semi-finalist last year – progressed without hitting a ball when Philipp Kohlschreiber withdrew injured from their scheduled second-round clash.
Runner-up in 2018 to Roger Federer, unseeded Marin Cilic hammered 30 aces to squeeze past French 21st seed Benoit Paire in a fifth-set super-tiebreaker, 6-2 6-7 (6-8) 3-6 6-1 7-6 (10-3).
The 2014 US Open champion will face Spain’s ninth seed Roberto Bautista Agut or American wildcard Michael Mmoh in the third round.
Unbeaten in 2020, Bautista Agut was locked at one set apiece with Mmoh when rain forced the suspension of their match on Wednesday night.
Resurgent American Tommy Paul continued his lightning start to the season with a thrilling fifth-set super-tiebreak win over 2019 US Open semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov.
A semi-finalist last week in Adelaide, Paul steeled himself after relinquishing a two-set lead to eke out a 6-4 7-6 (8-6) 3-6 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (10-3) triumph.
The 22-year-old next meets Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics, who ended Italian teen Jannik Sinner’s Open with a 6-4 6-4 6-3 win over one of tennis’s so-called next big things.
American Tennys Sandgren knocked out Italian eighth seed Matteo Berrettini 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 4-6 2-6 7-5 in the upset of the day.
Sandgren will play compatriot Sam Querrey, a 7-6 (7-2) 4-6 6-4 6-4 winner over Lithuania’s finest Ricardas Berankis, for a spot in the last 16.