MELBOURNE, Australia — Milos Raonic persevered with his serve-and-volley game plan, holding firm even in the deciding set against Stan Wawrinka after the 2014 Australian Open champion had rallied from two sets down to force a fifth.
It paid off for Raonic, who beat Wawrinka 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-3 on Monday to secure a spot in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open.
It was his first win in five matches against French Open champion Wawrinka, the only man who was able to beat top-ranked Novak Djokovic in a Grand Slam match last year.
It was Raonic's first win on Rod Laver Arena, too, "so that's a nice plus.