Content with his first match in about two years, Canadian Milos Raonic was brought down hard by Australian Jordan Thompson in the second round of the tennis tournament in the Netherlands’ ‘s-Hertogenbosch on Thursday.
The Maple Leaf athlete lost in straight sets 7-6 (4), 6-1 to a world-ranked 103rd-ranked rival he easily defeated in the only other meeting of his career. However, the winner seems to enjoy playing on grass, having reached two finals in the Challenger class on that surface in 2022.
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Thompson had a good week, posting a 3-9 individual record in the ATP this year ahead of the competition. He managed two breaks four times at Raonic’s expense, taking advantage of Raonic’s eight double faults. On serve, the Oceanian player saved the two break points he was facing.
In the second round of the 2021 Miami tournament, the Ontarioian prevailed against him 6-2, 6-1. On Dutch soil, he secured a place in the main draw thanks to his protected placement. From the start he surprised the Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic, 39th in the world, with 6: 3 and 6: 4.
Wimbledon
As he has previously hinted at, Raonic has expressed an interest in taking part in the Wimbledon tournament, which is due to start on July 3, which explains his presence in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, where he is active again. An Achilles tendon injury and a broken foot kept him on the sidelines for a long time, and he considered retiring.
“It all kind of broke my heart. “There were a lot of times I couldn’t do anything,” the 32-year-old All England Club runner-up in 2016 told reporters this week.