Marseille, France (SportsNetwork.com) – Italian Simone Bolelli stunned top-
seeded Milos Raonic during Thursday’s second-round action, while hot Swiss
Stan Wawrinka avoided an upset at the Open 13 tennis event.
Bolelli recorded the biggest win of his career by outlasting the world No. 6
Canadian star in 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3) fashion on the indoor surface at
Marseille’s Palais des Sports.
“There were many close games, but I couldn’t make the most of my chances,”
said the big-serving Raonic, who launched 21 aces in a losing effort. “I
served better as the match went on, but he made it through when it mattered
the most.”
The 29-year-old Bolelli broke the longest losing streak against Top-10
opponents and is now 1-35 lifetime against such competition.
Meanwhile, fresh off his title in Rotterdam the second-seeded Wawrinka
continued his winning ways by handling Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-2, 6-3.
Wawrinka’s quarterfinal opponent on Friday will be Ukrainian Sergiy
Stakhovsky.
Fifth-seeded former Open 13 champion Gilles Simon also avoided an upset by
holding off talented 18-year-old Croat Borna Coric, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. Simon
captured the title here back in 2007.
Another second-round result saw promising Austrian Dominic Thiem take out
sixth-seeded Belgian David Goffin 5-1, retired, as Goffin succumbed to a rib
injury on Day 4.
The 2015 Marseille champ will collect $117,000.
