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Injury forces Canadian tennis star Raonic out of Davis Cup tie against Britain

Raonic out of Davis Cup tie against Britain

OTTAWA — Tennis star Milos Raonic has withdrawn from Canada's Davis Cup World Group tie against Britain after a nagging adductor injury flared up during his recent Australian Open run.

Raonic, ranked No. 3 in the world, was defeated 6-4, 7-6 (7), 6-4 in the quarter-finals by Rafael Nadal, who has since moved on to earn a berth against Roger Federer in Sunday's final. Raonic said he came into Melbourne nursing his thigh muscle after injuring it earlier this month at an Australian Open warmup in Brisbane.

"I am sad and disappointed that I am unable to compete alongside the Canadian Davis Cup team versus Great Britain," Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., said in a statement. "I sustained an injury during my previous match in Australia that will keep me off the court for the coming weeks. I wish all the best to my teammates and my full support is behind them in this exciting tie held in Ottawa."

Peter Polansky, also of Thornhill, will replace Raonic in the tie, scheduled for Feb. 3-5 at TD Place in Ottawa.

Polansky will be joining Toronto's Daniel Nestor, Vancouver's Vasek Pospisil, and Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., on Canada's team. Polansky will be competing in his 11th Davis Cup tie and making his return to the squad for the first time since 2014.

"We wish Milos all the best with his recovery, and know he would be on the court with us if he could," said Canadian team captain Martin Laurendeau. "Peter has been playing some of the best tennis in his career recently. Our goal remains the same: to do everything we can to get the win and advance to the quarter-finals."

The British team will feature Kyle Edmund, Daniel Evans, Dominic Inglot, and Jamie Murray. World No. 1 Andy Murray is skipping the event.

The winner of this tie will advance into the quarter-finals in April while the loser will be forced to compete in September's World Group play-offs to stay in the top level of the competition for 2018.

Canada has advanced past the first round twice in the past five years, making the semifinals in 2013 and quarter-finals in 2015.

The Canadian Press