The 7th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas is safely through to the US Open second round. Stefanos met the former Major finalist Milos Raonic in the first round at Louis Armstrong Stadium and scored a 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 triumph in an hour and 56 minutes. Milos served at 46%, playing well behind the first serve but struggling on the second, including eight double faults. The Canadian faced 14 break points and lost serve five times. Stefanos lost 21 points in his games, serving well and defending two out of three break chances to keep the pressure on the other side. The Greek tamed his strokes nicely and landed 25 winners and 20 unforced errors. Raonic tried to stay aggressive, firing 32 winners and 48 unforced errors, too many to stay competitive. Milos built a 4-2 advantage in the third set before dropping the next four games and hitting the exit door in his first US Open match in three years. Stefanos faced two break points in the encounter’s third game and denied them with winners to avoid an early setback.
Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Milos Raonic in straight sets in New York.
Milos netted a forehand in the next one and offered his rival two break chances. The Canadian hit a double fault on the second to drop serve and fall 3-1 behind. The Greek confirmed the advantage with a comfortable hold in game five and opened a 5-2 gap with a service winner. Raonic served to stay in the net in the eighth game, spraying a forehand error to drop serve for the second time and hand the opener to Tsitsipas after 34 minutes. Milos hit another double fault in the second set’s second game and offered Stefanos a break point. Raonic denied it with a powerful serve & forehand combo and stayed in touch in the upcoming games. Tsitsipas cracked an ace down the T line in the seventh game for a hold at 15, pushing hard on the return in the next one.
Raonic saved two break points before Tsitsipas seized the third following his rival’s loose forehand. The Greek served for the set at 5-3 and held at love to forge a 6-2, 6-3 advantage in an hour and 13 minutes, moving closer to the finish line. Milos produced three fine holds at the start of the third set and grabbed his first break in the sixth game after forcing Stefanos’ mistake. Stefanos broke back in game seven, reducing the deficit and gaining a boost. The ninth game was the longest, and the Greek created six break points. He converted the last after the Canadian’s wayward forehand, moving 5-4 in front and serving for the victory. Stefanos landed an ace in the tenth game, holding at love and moving over the top in style.Ā