Injury-hit Milos Raonic has paid the price for a lack of preparation with the former world No.3 making a first-round Australian Open exit.
A quarter-finalist at Melbourne Park last year and semi-finalist in 2016, the 22nd-seeded Canadian looked out of sorts against Slovakian Lukas Lacko, losing 6-7 (7-5) 7-5 6-4 7-6 (7-4).
Raonic also made an early departure from the Brisbane International when he was beaten by Aussie teen Alex de Minaur but said the results weren't entirely unexpected.
The 27-year-old missed much of last year after a frustrating run of injuries that saw him slide 20 places to No.23 since last year's Open.
He suffered a wrist injury which required surgery, then a torn calf and finally a knee injury in November.
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"I wasn't where I needed to be. I wasn't sharp and then I struggled physically, thankfully not from injury but from lack of fitness and preparation and that caught up with me after a while," said Raonic, who made the Wimbledon final in 2016.
"There was just one thing after the other that created problems so there wasn't much I was free to do.
"So I tried to make the most of it, but it wasn't the kind of training I would have liked and that's where I get my confidence from."
