Milos Raonic overcomes Stan Wawrinka in four sets after battle of tiebreaks to reach Australian Open third round
- Stan Wawrinka started off with much more intensity than 16th seed Milos Raonic
- Wawrinka took the first set but then the Canadian started to find his rhythm
- Raonic then won two consecutive tiebreaks to go 2-1 up in the second-round tie
- The Canadian secured his spot in the third round with 6-7 7-6 7-6 7-6 victory
Milos Raonic served his way into the third round of the Australian Open on Thursday with a pulsating 6-7(4) 7-6(6) 7-6(11) 7-6(5) victory against former champion Stan Wawrinka.
In one of the best matches of the opening rounds, the 6ft 4in Canadian repeatedly served his way out of trouble against an opponent armed with an elegant as well as destructive single-handed backhand.
The reserved Canadian raised his fists in triumph after his Swiss opponent misfired on his forehand on match point after four hours of intense play.
Raonic, seeded 16, will play the winner of Chung Hyeon and Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the third round.
More to follow
Milos Raonic overcame Stan Wawrinka in four sets to reach the Australian Open third round
Wawrinka had battled hard in the first set but let his game slip as the match progressed
Raonic worked hard to move Wawrinka from side to side in an attempt to tire out his opponent
Wawrinka stretches to make a forehand as he battled to reach the third round on Thursday
The Canadian 16th seed has faced a tough draw but made it through after more than four hours
Wawrinka salutes the crowd at the Rod Laver Arena after succumbing to defeat in four sets