MONTE CARLO DIRT

Postmedia NewsApril 10, 2011

Milos Raonic of Canada plays a volley in his match against Michael Llodra of France during Day One of the ATP Masters Series Tennis at the Monte Carlo Country Club on April 10, 2011 in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Photograph by: Julian Finney, Getty Images

MONTE CARLO, Monaco — Rising Canadian tennis star Milos Raonic won his first senior ATP match played on clay Sunday, beating Michael Llodra of France 6-3, 0-6, 6-0 in first-round action at the Monte Carlo Masters.

Raonic, 20, of Thornhill, Ont., beat Llodra in their only other ATP Tour meeting, in the second round of the Australian Open two months ago.

Raonic will face either 14th-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine or Ernests Gulbis of Latvia in the second round.

Raonic’s booming serve is the key to his game, rendered less dangerous when playing on clay.

Still, Raonic said he’s growing accustomed to the slower surface.

“I’m liking it more and more by the day,” Raonic said of playing on clay. “I look quite frustrated because I always want to win, but it’s fun. It’s a lot more fun than I might show.

“As long as it keeps getting better day to day, week by week, I’ll be smiling more and more.”

Raonic entered the match ranked 35th in the world, while Llodra was ranked 24th.

Raonic’s previous clay experience was in a French Open junior loss and several Futures matches while a teenager.

Last month, however, he won both of his matches on the surface in Canada’s Davis Cup first-round victory at Mexico City.

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