- Alex de Minaur has qualified for the second round of the Australian Open
- The 24-year-old had to battle hard against Milos Raonic
- Raonic had to give up during the third set
Milos Raonic had Alex de Minaur in the background during the start of their first round match at the Australian Open.
But the veteran’s body was unable to maintain the pace to push the Australian hero to the limit as he was forced to withdraw from the first major of the year.
After winning the first set during a tense tie-break, Raonic could not withstand De Minaur’s response as the 24-year-old fought back to level terms.
Then, during the third set, Raonic’s movement appeared visibly restricted and the big Canadian was unable to continue, shocking the crowd at Rod Laver Arena as he walked to the net to shake hands with his rival.
It means that De Minaur, who defeated Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic in the run-up to the tournament, will advance to the second round.
More to follow.