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Edmund sets up Raonic QF clash in Delray Beach

Ros Satar
Tennis

 

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By Ros Satar

  • Kyle Edmund [8] def. Yen-Hsun Lu 6-3 3-6 6-2
  • Sets up first time meeting with top seed Milos Raonic
DELRAY BEACH, USA – After a rain-soaked day, Kyle Edmund prevailed over Taipei’s Yen-Hsun Lu and will face top seed Milos Raonic in the quarter-final.

 

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Kyle Edmund [8] def. Yen-Hsun Lu 6-3 3-6 6-2

It was a nervy start for both players trading breaks after a delayed start to proceedings with bad weather, with Kyle Edmund breaking later in the set for a 4-2 lead. Edmund fought off two break points, before converting on his own second set point to take the first set.

It was a more competitive second set, but just one looser game cost Edmund a break to give Yen-Hsun Lu a chance to level the match.

Edmund needed to be more dominant in the decider, breaking for a 3-1 lead before one more break of Lu’s serve to seal the match.

 

Edmund [8] v Milos Raonic [1]

If there were any worries that Milos Raonic might be a tad rusty after a long break following the Australian Open to recover from an adductor injury, his first two rounds have been pretty solid. Borna Coric mounted a spirited defence but eventually bowed out in straight sets, and he is up against the Brit for the first time.

Edmund has slipped a little in the rankings since cracking the Top 50 towards the end of last year. When his game is on, his big serve and forehand combo is impressive, but if he is slightly off with his rhythm he can struggle to make any kind of impact, which we saw in his opening Davis Cup rubber against Vasek Pospisil. He was slow to make the adjustments to the speedy indoor court and put in a lacklustre performance by his own high standards.

He will need to be a lot more adventurous. While Raonic in the past has preferred to rely on his own powerful serve as the key to free points, he does actually possess a decent all court game and with working with John McEnroe last year, and most recently Carlos Moya, until the Spaniard joined Rafael Nadal’s team, we have seen him advancing forward more and injecting a lot more variety into his game.

It is a tall task for Edmund to be able to live with the World No. 4 but hopefully gives the Brit a spur to have reached his second quarter-final of the season.

Prediction: Raonic in two sets.