Davis Cup: Japan down Canada to make maiden quarter-finals

Hosts Japan sailed into the Davis Cup quarter-finals for the first time with a 3-1 victory against injury-plagued Canada on Sunday.

Japanese No 1 Kei Nishikori was leading 6-2, 1-0 on the indoor hard court at Tokyo's Ariake Coliseum when his opponent Frank Dancevic retired with injury, handing the hosts a 3-1 victory in their first meeting since 1938.

Nishikori pocketed the first set in 29 minutes and broke Dancevic in the first game of the second when the world number 119 took an injury timeout but could not continue because of a stomach muscle injury.

Japan now have a perfect 6-0 Davis Cup record against last year's semi-finalists, who were laid low by a spate of injuries.

Their top-ranked player Milos Raonic withdrew on Thursday with a foot injury he sustained at last month's Australian Open, while world number 25 Vasek Pospisil also missed Saturday's doubles with an injury he picked up at Melbourne Park.

Japan will meet either Czech Republic or Netherlands in the World Group quarter-finals in April.