ATP: Raonic doesn’t kick in

Milos Raonic doesn’t seem to be getting into action after his injury break last year. In Delray Beach, the Canadian also had to admit defeat in the second round.

The signs for Milos Raonic’s first-round game against Steve Johnson were not bad for the Canadian. The 27-year-old always emerged victorious in the three previous clashes. After the long injury break last year, Raonic doesn’t seem to be in full possession of his powers yet.

Elf Asse set it for Raonic, but in the end he had to pack his bags with a 2:6 and 4:6 defeat. Again. Raonic is currently a shadow of himself. After a wrist surgery last fall, Raonic returned in time for the preparation tournament in Brisbane and lost to youngster Alex De Minaur in the first round. The former number three in the world also had to drive home after the first round at the Australian Open.

In Delray Beach Raonic was supposed to collect practice for the upcoming Masters tournaments in Miami and Indian Wells and had to face another disappointment against Johnson. In the first round, the Canadian won his first win of the season against Taro Daniel, and that was all he could do in the end. Now it will be difficult for the current number 32 in the world to deliver a good result in the USA.

With the current world ranking, the former Wimbledon finalist will face top seeded players at an early stage and will have to go into difficult games without self-confidence. Last year Raonic was still regarded as a hot contender for a Grand Slam victory and seemed to be ready for his greatest success. In Wimbledon, however, the service giant Roger Federer had to admit defeat and seemed not really fit afterwards.

There is no question that an injury with a subsequent operation will take time to heal, but the shape of the Canadian must improve considerably in the coming weeks. Otherwise, the year 2018 could be a bitter one in the file Raonic.