Milos Raonic makes earliest Slam exit in seven years

MELBOURNE

Underprepared Milos Raonic was dumped out of the Australian Open by Lukas Lacko on Tuesday in his earliest exit at Grand Slam for seven years.

The 86th-ranked Slovakian defeated the 22nd seeded Canadian 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) in 3hr 22min on Show Court Three.

It was Raonic's worst performance at a major since losing in the first round at Roland Garros in 2011.

The Canadian, a semi-finalist in Melbourne two years ago, was fighting to make up for lost time after wrist and calf injuries last year and an early exit at the lead-in Brisbane International tournament this month.

"I wasn't sharp and I struggled physically, thankfully not from injury, but from fitness and preparedness and that caught up with me a lot," Raonic told reporters.

"I was hoping I would be a little more efficient on the court but things dragged on a little bit and I wasn't that sharp, quick, I wasn't hitting that hard or aggressive and I wasn't able to dictate."

Asked about his lack of preparation time for the Australian Open, Raonic said: "It is what it is.

"It's what I was aware when I came here, I knew it was going to be something along these lines, obviously I wished it would be much better.

"I knew that the time I had to spend in the gym and on the court wasn't ideal and I just tried to make the most of it."

Raonic, a 2016 Wimbledon finalist, is fighting his way back from a wrist injury last season and despite serving 36 aces, he made 47 unforced errors and had his serve broken three times.

Lacko, who hasn't been beyond the third round in Melbourne, will play Argentina's Nicolas Kicker in the second round.