Xavier Malisse will begin his SAP Open campaign with a tricky match against Canadian young gun Milos Raonic

Xavier Malisse is the No. 4 seed here in San Jose, but has still been handed a difficult first round matchup. He will face Milos Raonic, who defied the odds to reach the last sixteen of last month’s Australian Open. Malisse is a former semi-finalist in the SAP Open, though his final four appearance happened back in 2001. Even so, he will be considered a contender for the title if he can navigate his way through this clash.

Raonic made a name for himself last month with victories over players such as Michael Llodra and Mikhail Youzhny. He
even put up a decent performance against David Ferrer, but lost in four sets. His explosive serve makes him a threat to almost anyone, and it looks like he’ll be one of the best players in the world if he can tidy up the rest of his game. This is likely to come with experience, and Raonic has time on his side right now.

This match has all of the makings of a fascinating clash. Malisse will attempt to use his experience to influence the game on Monday, though his efforts might depend on how well he returns the Raonic serve. This indoor hard court is likely to benefit Raonic’s game, and he might just manage to get a positive result against the Belgian.