SPORTS

Milos Raonic defeats Japan's Tatsuma Ito in Davis Cup action

The Canadian Press Published Friday, March 6, 2015 7:52PM EST

Canada's Milos Raonic, of Toronto, Ont., celebrates after defeating Japan's Tatsuma Ito in straight sets during a Davis Cup tennis world group first round singles match in Vancouver, B.C., on March 6, 2015. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press)

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VANCOUVER - Milos Raonic defeated Tatsuma Ito in straight sets Friday as Canada captured the first match of its Davis Cup tie with Japan.

Raonic, of Thornhill, Ont., who is ranked sixth in the world, won 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 in just one hour 27 minutes.

Japan's Kei Nishikori, ranked fourth in the world, faces No. 62 Vasek Pospisil of Vancouver in the second match of the best-of-five World Group showdown later Friday.

The 24-year-old Raonic broke the 85th-ranked Ito twice in the first set while leading 3-2 and never really looked back before a partisan crowd at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.

Already up a break, Raonic asserted his dominance leading 4-1 in the second with a love game to break Ito again before a service love game to take the set.

Ito showed some life early in the third, but Raonic secured his fifth and sixth break points en route to his ninth straight Davis Cup victory on home soil.