Thirty-six hours after his tournament-opening thriller against ninth seed Frances Tiafoe Monday night, Milos Raonic’s homecoming tour continued at the National Bank Open in Toronto with a decisive 6-4, 6-3 victory in straight sets over Japan’s Taro Daniel in the Round of 32.

Just as it was in Monday’s statement win, the story of Wednesday’s matchup was all about the serve. It was the signature booming overhand of the man in red and white that was ultimately the difference-maker, though not without a strong challenge from Daniel, whose best defence against Raonic’s serve wasn’t to return it but rather to try to keep pace by holding his own.

It wasn’t until the 10th game of the first set that a player was able to break his opponent’s serve. Up 5-4, it was Raonic who broke free from the rhythm of the back-and-forth contest and claimed the set. The 32-year-old from Thornhill, Ont., carried that momentum into the second, winning the first three games and creating a cushion that proved crucial in keeping Daniel’s comeback attempt at bay.

If Monday’s win made a statement, Wednesday’s answered a question about whether his health would allow him to repeat the feat.

“To be honest, after playing well in the first round, having not played many matches back to back in a very long time, I really didn’t expect to play that well today,” Raonic said post-match. “I knew it would be difficult. I know that that’s one of the more difficult things, is that kind of picking stuff up and carrying it from one day to the next and having that continuity. So, I was very aware of that kind of potentially being the case.”

Asked where he feels his overall game is now, compared to pre-injury, Raonic indicated it’s not far off.

“It’s never been a question so much of level,” he said. “It’s more been like, A: can I push myself physically to prepare the way I need to to be able to play well? And, B: when it comes to matches and stuff, can I be able to kind of withstand that load and that physical exertion kind of week in and week out?”

Wednesday’s win, while showcasing once again his strong service game, was not without a few uncertain moments — from the hometown crowd, at least. The final sequence of Raonic’s midday match mirrored the first in both its nerves and its thrills. The Canuck opened the contest with a rare double fault, sending a ripple of anxious energy through the stands that quickly turned into a roar of excitement — and, sure, more than a little relief, too — as he followed up the misstep with a pair of signature aces. Then, up 5-3 in the second set with the match on the line and the ball in his hand, Raonic delayed the crowd’s elation with his second double fault of the contest before his blistering ace — his 15th of the match — secured the win.

“Yeah, there was, obviously, some points of frustration today. A few break points I didn’t necessarily play well or maybe some opportunities I felt get away, which, when I kind of had opportunities in my last match, I was probably a bit more sharp,” he said. “But I just kind of kept plugging away and giving myself those chances.”

It’s been a long road back to the courts for Raonic, who was sidelined nearly two years after suffering an Achilles injury in 2021. But it was a very short 36 hours between matches, precious few hours to recover and regain his strength and stamina. He’ll have even less time to prepare for his next date: Thursday’s Round of 16 matchup against Mackenzie McDonald, the American fresh off ousting tournament sixth seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets.

It’s helped, of course, that Raonic has been able to spend what little off-court time he does have at home. As he told Sportsnet’s Arash Madani following his win, Raonic’s enjoying his time at home.

“It’s easy to be home. It’s fun to be home. Yesterday after a long day’s practice I went over to my parents’ house, played with my dogs, go get some dinner after. It’s a little more enjoyable, a little more fun,” he said.

That’s all contributing to his calm, cool demeanour — even amid the midday heat. And neither the sun nor the spotlight is poised to ease up much in the coming days, considering Raonic is now the lone Canadian vying for Toronto’s tournament title. As Raonic spoke post-match, young Canuck Gabriel Diallo, on the heels of Tuesday’s rousing victory over Great Britain’s Daniel Evans, was just a few games into his first set against Alex De Minaur of Australia. Despite a strong start in the first and an early lead in the second, Diallo fell to his opponent in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5.

Diallo called his first National Bank Open experience “a great eye-opener” not only for his own on-court experience but the chance to be around tour veterans.

“I learned a lot from how the pros behave, how they train, how they carry themselves outside the court. So great learning experience for me,” Diallo said.

“And, yeah, I’m disappointed, but I think I did some good things on the court. And I’m proud of myself for believing I could win until the last point,” he continued. “And now it’s just on to the next one.”

Next up for Diallo will be the Winnipeg Challenger, followed by U.S. Open qualifiers later this month.

Meanwhile, Raonic’s “next up” brings with it another iteration of the same question — the one we’ll continue to ask as long as the Canadian is on the court: Just how far can he go?

“You know, you have to rest well, eat well, do the therapy I need to do with my team. And kind of just go through that to give my body the best chance to heal, and then give myself the best chance to compete and really leave it all out there tomorrow,” he said. “And that way, I can have a chance.”

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