Raonic wins opener in Shanghai By QMI Agency

Milos Raonic of Canada returns the ball to Marinko Matosevic of Australia during the Shanghai Masters men's singles tennis tournament in Shanghai October 9, 2012. (REUTERS)

After a run to the final at the Japan Open last week, Canadian tennis star Milos Raonic started well at the Shanghai Rolex Masters tournament.

Raonic, seeded 12th in the ATP Masters 1000 event and ranked 14th in the world, posted a straight-set 7-6 (4), 6-3 win over qualifier Marinko Matosevic of Croatia Tuesday. The 21-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., needed just 88 minutes to beat Matosevic, ranked 60th in the world, and move into the second round against Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus.

Baghdatis cruised past Fabio Fognini of Italy 6-2, 6-2 to set up the showdown with Raonic.

Against Matosevic, Raonic pounded out 14 aces and won 80% of his first-serve points. He had four double faults, compared to two by the Croat.

Raonic has won both previous meetings with Baghdatis, a former Grand Slam finalist, in three sets. He downed Baghdatis at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati earlier this year and at the Stockholm Open in 2011.