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By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, February 21, 2017

 
Donald Young

Donald Young defeated second-seeded Ivo Karlovic, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3) in a rematch of the 2015 Delray Beach Open final.

Photo credit: Memphis Open

Donald Young continues to deconstruct tennis’ tallest trees in tie breaks.

In a rematch of the 2015 Delray Beach final, Young squeezed out a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3) victory over second-seeded Ivo Karlovic to reach the Delray Beach Open second round.

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It was Young’s first victory in three meetings with the 37-year-old Croatian, who swept the American left-hander, 6-3, 6-3, in the Delray Beach final two years ago.

Winless in seven prior sets with Karlovic, Young rifled a backhand crosscourt that clipped the top of the tape and popped over his opponent's racquet for the mini break and a 2-0 tie break lead.

A Karlovic double fault gave Young a 5-1 lead, but the American stumbledon serve spitting up successive double faults for 5-all. Standing his ground on return, Young ripped a backhand pass crosscourt for set point.

Burying a second serve into the body, Young snatched a one-set lead with a scream.

Empowered by his run to the Memphis semifinal last week, Young defused one of tennis’ most dangerous servers for the third time in his last four matches.

At last week’s Memphis Open, Young downsized 6-foot-11 Reilly Opelka, 7-6 (3), 6-3, before upsetting 6-foot-10 John Isner, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 7-6 (6) in the quarterfinals.

Soft hands and a knack for putting a couple of timely returns at Karlovic’s feet in each tie break helped Young withstand 19 aces from the towering Croatian in a match devoid of a single break point.

The 69th-ranked Young has won five straight tie break sets vs. massive servers, raising his 2017 tie break record to 7-1.

The former ITF junior No. 1 will take on talented American teenager Taylor Fritz for the first time in round two.

Top-seeded Milos Raonic tuned up for his Delray Beach debut playing golf with 18-time Grand Slam champion and Floridian Jack Nicklaus.

The Wimbledon finalist teed off on Tim Smyczek, 6-1, 6-4, in 56 minutes moving into a second-round meeting with Borna Coric. The 59th-ranked Croat hit eight aces and did not drop serve in a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Santiago Giraldo


 

In his first match at #DBO2017 No. 1 seed @mraonic defeats #TimSmyczek 6-1, 6-4. See you in the 2nd round Milos!

A post shared by Delray Beach Open (@delraybeachopen) on



Raonic ripped 10 aces, won 26 of 29 first-serve points and snuffed out all four break points he faced.

“Overall I have to be happy,” Raonic told ATP World Tour.com afterward. “I haven't played much tennis over the last few weeks, and I really put in as much work as I could over the last week to get into my best shape here, and now I'm here. I've won my first match and I hope I can continue. I feel good.”

Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis scored the day’s biggest upset breaking serve five times in a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 conquest of sixth-seeded Bernard Tomic. Darcis will play either Memphis runner-up Nikoloz Basilashvili or 38-year-old Tommy Haas in the second round.

American No. 1 Jack Sock served 72 percent and stung his forehand with aggression denying Radu Albot, 6-4, 7-6 (2) in 84 minutes. Sock will play Guillermo Garcia-Lopez next. Garcia-Lopez cruised by Dustin Brown, 6-3, 6-3.

Seeking his second title of the season, Sock said he views playing Delray Beach as a bit of a homecoming as he played junior tournaments at the venue on Atlantic Avenue. 



“It’s probably my eighth time playing here if you count the juniors. I have a lot of experience in Delray," Sock said. "I've played the junior clays here numerous times. So I have great memories here.

“I feel a lot more confident this year, a lot stronger, excited to be back and hopefully for many more years.”

In an all-American opener, No 5-seeded Steve Johnson swept wild card Stefan Kozlov, 6-1, 6-4. 

 

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