MIAMI — Canadian top seed Milos Raonic blasted 10 aces in downing US qualifier Tim Smyczek 6-1, 6-4 Tuesday to reach the second round of the ATP Delray Beach Open.
But Australian sixth seed Bernard Tomic became the first seed ousted at the hardcourt event, with Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis rallying to deliver a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 defeat to the world No. 31.
And 37-year-old second seed Ivo Karlovic followed shortly thereafter, falling 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3) to 69th-ranked American Donald Young despite 19 aces from the world number 20 Croatian.
Raonic, who had beaten Smyczek in the first round of the 2015 US Open in their only prior meeting, booked a second-round matchup with 49th-ranked Croatian Borna Coric, who eliminated Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo 6-2, 6-3.
World No. 4 Raonic is seeking a ninth career ATP crown. He has won at least one title in each of the past six years and last year reached his first Grand Slam final, losing to Britain’s Andy Murray at Wimbledon.
Darcis, ranked 57th, faced only one break point over the final two sets in fighting back to bounce Tomic in 90 minutes, booking a second-round match against either Germany’s Tommy Haas or Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili, who lost Sunday’s ATP Memphis Open final to American Ryan Harrison.
US third seed Jack Sock fired eight aces in downing Moldova’s Radu Albot 6-4, 7-6 (7-2). Sock, ranked 21st, next plays Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, who dispatched Germany’s Dustin Brown 6-3, 6-3.
Former US Open champ Juan Martin Del Potro got his season off to another successful start, winning in straight sets and overcoming an opening set tumble in the process.
Del Potro wasn’t at his best, especially on his backhand. But he used his powerful serve and blasted enough forehand winners to beat Anderson of South Africa 6-4, 6-4.
Del Potro, who also started his ATP Tour season last year at the Delray Beach event, hammered five aces and won 84 percent of his first serve points in the first round battle between two former tournament winners. Del Potro reached the semifinals of this event last year before going on to win 32 matches and being named the Tour’s comeback player of the year for the second time. — Agencies