Raonic crashes out of Japan Open with new injury

[October 05, 2017]  (Reuters) - Former world number three Milos Raonic pulled out of the Japan Open with a calf strain on Thursday, just two days after returning from a seven-week layoff that followed surgery on his left wrist.

Seeded third, the Canadian was forced to retire after one game of his second-round match against local hope Yuichi Sugita.

"I picked up a strain to the calf. It's hard to know the extent of it...," Raonic told the ATP World Tour website.

"It happened when the score was deuce, I felt a sharp pain at the back of my leg. I will head home now and get medical attention."

A three-time former finalist in Tokyo, Raonic beat Serbia's Viktor Troicki 6-3 6-4 in Tuesday's first round.

The Canadian won the last of his eight career titles in Brisbane last year and has since dropped out of the top 10.

"It's been a difficult and frustrating year, I obviously wish I could have focused on tennis more rather than chasing help all the time," Raonic said.

"My wrist isn't a concern... It was kind of a growth that happened over time. Therefore, it was very simple and something that needed the swelling to go down."

Canada’s Milos Raonic in action during his quarter final match against Switzerland’s Roger Federer at Wimbledon, London, Britain, July 12, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Earlier, Shenzhen Open champion David Goffin scored a 2-6 7-5 7-6(1) win over Australia's Matthew Ebden while Richard Gasquet beat Lu Yen-hsun 6-0 7-6(5).

Also advancing to the quarter-finals was American Steve Johnson, who defeated Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-2 6-4.

(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; editing by John Stonestreet)

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