Milos Raonic was clutch when it mattered most in his second round victory over Tommy Robredo in the second round on Thursday in Melbourne. Robredo put up an incredible fight and made very few mistakes, but Raonic overwhelmed the Spanish veteran late in all three sets, claiming a hard-fought 7-6(6), 7-6(5), 7-5 victory.
Raonic Patience Pays Off
In his opening match, Raonic broke to open all three sets. He seemed primed to continue that trend when he went ahead 15-40 in Robredo’s opening service game. Robredo saved both, and then another at 40-AD, to hold. Neither player got much going on each other’s serve until Robredo served to stay in the set at 4-5. Raonic brought up a set point at 30-40, but fired his forehand into the net on what likely would have been a winner. Robredo saved another set point before holding for 5-5. Serving to forcing a tiebreak, Robredo was forced to save two more set points.
It seemed as if the Spaniard used those saved set points to build momentum, as he raced out to a 3-0 lead in the tiebreak. Raonic tied the breaker, and the pair continued to alternate points until Robredo found himself at set point on Raonic’s serve at 5-6. Raonic saved it before bringing up a fifth set point. Having already saved four set points in the set, Robredo seemed to finally crack, as he double-faulted to gift the opening set to Raonic.
Robredo Cannot Solve Raonic Serve
After four straight easy games, it was Raonic who got the first chance to break in the second set, holding a break point for a 3-2 lead. But he once again missed a routine forehand and Robredo went on to hold. Leading 4-3, Robredo brought up his first break point of the match, but Raonic saved it with a smash, a shot that Robredo had been returning amazingly well during the match. Robredo made one last charge to avoid the tiebreak, forcing Raonic to three deuces in the twelfth game, but he could not get the break.
Raonic opened the tiebreak with a mini-break, but Robredo quickly got it back. The big serving Canadian reclaimed it again and held 4-2 before Robredo put the breaker back on serve. They remained on serve until Raonic grabbed the first set point on Robredo’s serve, which he converted when he placed a backhand volley out of Robredo’s reach.
Raonic Breaks Through Late
Despite having not had his serve broken, Tommy Robredo found himself trailing two sets two one. Eager to get back in the match, he grabbed a 15-40 lead in the third game, but Raonic saved both break points and held. Both men continued to hold easily until Robredo found himself serving to stay alive at 4-5.
Raonic brought up a pair of match points, but missed the first with an unforced error before Robredo saved the second with a winner. It was only a matter of time, though, as Raonic was given the same opportunity the following game. After once again missing the first one, Raonic blasted a return at Robredo’s feet which the Spaniard half-volleyed wide to give Raonic the first break of the match, and the match at the same time.
By the Numbers
Tommy Robredo came into the match with a clear strategy: keep every ball in play and force the errors. Patience was to be his greatest ally. For the most part it worked. Robredo only hit nineteen winners and seventeen winners. Compare that to the hyper-aggressive Raonic, who hit seventy-five winners and fifty-nine unforced errors. Robredo’s plan seemed to be paying off and, as the match progressed, the Canadian was seemingly getting openly frustrated by the Spaniard’s refusal to miss. Raonic was making an effort to charge the net as much as possible, approaching fifty-seven times, winning forty of those points
Unfortunately for Robredo, his consistency did not help him get anything going on Raonic’s serve. The monster-serving Canadian fired twenty-four aces and won eighty-three percent of his first serve points. He limited Robredo to four break points, all of which he saved. Robredo himself saved the first eleven break points he faced, but finally cracked on the twelfth which landed at the worst possible time, as that break handed Raonic the match.
Raonic will take a 2-1 head-to-head advantage into his third round match with Viktor Troicki.