Milos Raonic will do battle with James Blake at the SAP Open for a place in the quarter-finals

Milos Raonic emerged victorious against No. 4 seed Xavier Malisse on Tuesday, and is starting to look like a possible contender for this week’s title. Once again, the youngster demonstrated what he can do on serve, firing 20 aces en route to a 6-3, 6-4 victory. He will face James Blake in the second round, and will fancy his chances of making the last eight.

Blake’s current situation contrasts starkly with Raonic’s. The American was the world No. 4 back in 2006, but has seen his ranking steadily decline ever since. He is now ranked outside of the top hundred, and hasn’t played an ATP World Tour match yet this season. He recorded a decent win against fellow American Jesse Levine in round one, but faces a much tougher challenge here against Raonic.

Raonic’s side of the draw has favoured the youngsters so far. Richard Berankis managed to oust the No. 7 seed Benjamin Becker on Tuesday, and will meet Raonic in the quarters if things go as expected. Gael Monfils and Kei Nishikori are also still in the draw, and will be keeping an eye on the progress of both of the young challengers.