ATP Tokyo - Milos Raonic wins 40th match of the year

Big serving Canadian Milos Raonic, seeded no. 6 this week, beat Czech veteran Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the second round of the Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo.

This was the rising Canadian's 40th win of the year.

Raonic has won two titles this year and is still has a long shot to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals in November.

Local favourite Kei Nishikori beat compatriot Go Soeda 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the second round where he will meet Tommy Robredo next.

Former world no. 5 Robredo beat Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 6-2, 6-4.

In other mathces, Jeremy Chardy beat Yuichi Sugita 6-1, 7-5 and qualifier Dmitry Tursunov beat Aussie teenager Bernard Tomic 6-4, 7-5.