21st January, 2019
Big-serving Milos Raonic eased into the Australian Open quarter-finals with a surprisingly one-sided 6-1 6-1 7-6(5) victory over frustrated fourth seed Alexander Zverev, who smashed his racket to a pulp as Monday’s match was slipping away.
The 21-year-old German was broken six times in the first two sets before the Canadian converted his fourth match point in a tight third set to seal the contest in less than two hours.
Zverev won the 2018 ATP Finals but has struggled at the Grand Slams.
After serving his fifth double-fault to cough up a second break in the second set, Zverev lost his temper and hammered his racquet into the ground until it was mangled.
The conduct earned him a code violation warning from the umpire.
The 28-year-old Raonic will face either Croatian 11th seed Borna Coric or Frenchman Lucas Pouille, who is seeded 28th, for a place in the semi-finals. (Reuters/NAN)