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Milos Raonic wasted little time getting again to enterprise on Monday on the Libema Open in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the place the previous World No. 3 raced to victory towards Miomir Kecmanovic in his first match for nearly two years.
A sequence of accidents have saved the Canadian sidelined since July 2021 however his comeback within the Netherlands might hardly have gone extra easily. Raonic notched a 6-3, 6-4 victory towards the World No. 39 Kecmanovic throughout which he received 92 per cent (34/37) of factors behind his first serve.
“It’s good to be right here after virtually two years now and stepping away for a very long time,” mentioned Raonic after his emotional comeback triumph on the grass-court ATP 250. “It’s good to be giving it yet one more attempt to hopefully going so far as I can. I’ve put in the very best effort I might, and I need to see how far it takes me.
“It’s been an actual pleasure to get to play in entrance of individuals. I didn’t get to hit a single tennis ball for a full 12 months, now I get to play in entrance of a bunch of individuals. It was fairly nerve-wracking, I forgot that feeling. To be trustworthy with you it might need been a bit bit simpler if I performed in entrance of no person at present.”
What a comeback 🫶
After two years away from the tour @milosraonic claims victory 👏@LibemaOpen | #LibemaOpen pic.twitter.com/VJb0H4sSn9
— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 12, 2023
The 85-minute victory was Raonic’s fiftieth tour-level win on grass. The eight-time ATP Tour champion, who reached the ultimate at Wimbledon in 2016, acknowledged his sturdy begin in ‘s-Hertogenbosch was one other small step in an extended journey again.
“[I’m taking it] daily,” mentioned Raonic. “It’s been a bit heartbreaking loads of the time once I couldn’t do something and it’s good for me to be right here yet one more time. I get the possibility to be on court docket, I get the possibility to play, I get the possibility to compete, to place within the work, and I get an opportunity to see how far it takes me, so I’m grateful.”
The 32-year-old will search to increase his comeback when he takes on Jordan Thompson or qualifier Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard subsequent within the Netherlands.
Medvedev, Sinner, Tsitsipas, Kyrgios Kick Off Grass Swing
Ugo Humbert and Marc-Andrea Huesler additionally loved straight-sets opening wins on Monday. The seventh-seeded Humbert, who received the largest title of his profession on grass in 2021 on the ATP 500 occasion in Halle, downed Jason Kubler 6-4, 6-2. The resurgent Frenchman, who has risen to No. 36 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings after falling as little as No. 108 in January, will face Emil Ruusuvuori or Brandon Nakashima within the second spherical.
Huesler marked his ‘s-Hertogenbosch debut by upsetting eight seed Maxime Cressy 6-2, 7-6(2). It was a primary tour-level win on grass on the third try for the 26-year-old Swiss, who will tackle residence wild card Gijs Brouwer or Rinky Hijikata subsequent.
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