Chennai: Defending champion and third seed Stanislas Wawrinka shrugged off a first set loss to beat lucky loser Edouard Roger-Vasselin while talented Canadian Milos Raonic, the fourth seed, brushed aside Victor Hanescu in straight sets to enter the third round of the Aircel Chennai Open here on Wednesday.
Wawrinka, the 26-year old World No.17 from Switzerland, who has enjoyed a profitable run in this season opening tournament the past two years, took time to settle down and then proceeded to dismantle the Frenchman 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, in two hours and 16 minutes.
It was by no means an impressive performance by Wawrinka who was broken thrice in the first set, but his experience and superior game saw him take the second on two breaks to set up the decider where the Swiss Davis Cupper broke twice in the 10th and 12th games after himself dropping serve in the seventh.
Wawrinka, a hitting partner of Roger Federer, was at his best in the second set when he hit the right length and got into a good rhythm, but turned rather patchy in the third as Roger-Vasselin went a break up for 4-3.
At this stage, Wawrinka took a medical break and received attention to his left calf muscle. The Frenchman seemed to have cooled off, though he denied it was so after the match, as Wawrinka broke back in the 10th for 5-5 and then took the next two games for the match.
"No, the medical break did not affect me. I had my chances, but in the third, he came up with some great shots, especially towards the end. I feel sad to have lost, but I feel more confident now, after playing such a close match," said the 106 ranked Roger-Vasselin.
Wawrinka said: "It is never easy to play the first match of the new season. I guess, I put pressure on myself, but the important thing was that I won. I know I have to improve, but otherwise it was a good match.
"He played well and was aggressive. So, I didn't get a chance in the first set, but I found solution to come back, a solution to his game and I fought every ball to win the match," he said.
On the medical break he took in the third set, Wawrinka said it was merely a calf muscle strain and after the physio gave it a rub down, he was feeling normal.
Wawrinka will take on Japan's Go Soeda who eliminated fifth seed Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-6 (8), 6-3. The Japanese showcased his staying ability as he was back on court less than 24 hours after winning a three-set first round match against Frederico Gil of Portugal that ended close to midnight on Tuesday.
Earlier on the Centre Court, 21-year old Raonic, a product of the Canadian National Training Centre in Montreal, gave an eye-catching performance to oust Hansecu 6-4, 6-1 in just 74 minutes to set up a clash with Israel's Dudi Sela who overcame Frenchman Benoit Paire 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. The 26-year old Sela had scalped sixth seeded Fabio Fognini in the first round.
The Canadian moved well despite his six feet, five-inch frame that also helped him deliver nine aces, six of them in the second set, the last one on match-point. So much so, the 30-year old Hanescu, an inch taller than his opponent, and ranked 26 in July 2009, was barely in the frame.
Raonic broke the Romanian in the second and sixth games to take the first set in mere 27 minutes. Hanescu showed some fight in the second set that went with serves until 3-3 when he was broken in the seventh. The break of serve proved crucial as Raonic went on to close the match that lasted 74 minutes with an ace.
Raonic, who moved to Canada from Montenegro when he was just three years old, enjoyed a meteoric rise last year when he jumped from 152 to 25 by May, but a two month break following a hip surgery saw him finish the season at 31. However, his performances earned him the ATP Newcomer of the Year award.
Last year, Raonic won his maiden tour title at San Jose where he thundered 58 aces as he tamed the then World No.9 Fernando Verdasco in the final. Those big serves, though not much in evidence on Wednesday, were still good enough to carry him through.
"I am happy that everything I had worked on during off-season came together tonight. I just stayed with myself and did not start flat-footed," said Raonic after the match that he thought he played reasonably well, but would like to improve.
The results:
Singles (2nd round): Milos Raonic (CAN) bt Victor Hanescu (ROM) 6-1, 6-4; Dudi Sela (ISR) bt Benoit Paire (FRA) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4; 3-Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) bt LL-Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Go Soeda (JPN) bt 5-Ivan Dodig (CRO) 7-6 (8), 6-3.
1st round: Go Soeda (JPN) bt Frederico Gil (POR) 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-5; Steve Darcis (BEL) bt Blaz Kavcic (SLO) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
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