By Chris Oddo | Wednesday, February 18th, 2015

 

Simone Bolelli knocked off Milos Raonic in Marseille for his first ever top 10 win.

Photo Source: Open 13

A streak that started with a third-set tiebreaker mercifully ended the same way on Thursday in Marseille, as Italy’s Simone Bolelli ended an eight and a half year run of ineptitude against the ATP’s top ten with a stunning 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(3) upset of Milos Raonic.

More: Details of Bolelli's Top 10 Winless Streak

Bolelli, who lost his first top ten match against Fernando Gonzalez in 2006 in Basel in a third-set tiebreaker, would eventually lose 34 more in succession before finally breaking through today.

It was Bolelli’s first victory against Raonic in three tries. He withstood 21 aces from Raonic and saved seven of eight break points, including one in the decider that enabled him to push things to a tiebreaker.

Bolelli, who won the Australian Open doubles title with Fabio Fognini just a few weeks ago, will face Gael Monfils in the quarterfinals on Friday.

Bolelli has already reached two quarterfinals in 2015. Prior to this year, his last quarterfinal appearance came in Sao Paulo in February of 2013.

In other second-round action at Marseille, Gilles Simon overcame a leg injury to knock off 18-year-old Borna Coric in three sets, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, while Dominic Thiem advanced when David Goffin was forced to retire due to injury in the first set.