Lleyton Hewitt takes Milos Raonic to the
street fight in the third round on Saturday. He is the underdog and that suits
him well. Both have undergone hip surgeries in the past, but are untroubled at
present.
In the last match, Raonic committed one
unforced error per game, which is not a glaring shortcoming. His second serve
continues to be equal to the best, clocking 165 kmph. He is serving
three aces per four service games, which is not his best. He hit one winner per
game which coupled with one ace per game is good enough to see him through many
of his service games. His first serve percentage was poor at 54%, but most of
these first serves have brought him a winnable point.
Raonic playing at his best is beyond the
capability of Hewitt playing at his present best. Hewitt generally plays at his
best. How best Raonic plays will depend on how much he listens to other sounds
than those of the shots. The crowd will be mad at him and he is not immune to
such pressures.
Lleyton Hewitt is bound to draw Raonic into
rallies. His strategy will be to draw errors from Raonic. Hewitt relies on his
first serve for winning points. His second serve is conservative which prevents
him from going on offensive immediately. Raonic has the capability of saving
break points, since he tends to find first serve when he needs it. But his
capability to convert break point is comparatively less. Hewitt will attempt to
run Raonic from side to side to find gaps in court positioning.
Hewitt is a hardened player who has seen
many victories and defeats. He generally excels in front of a cheering crowd.
Raonic has a cherubic face, but a mature personality. If he gets overawed by
the occasion, he loses. If he shuts himself out and plays his best, he wins.
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