Ito upsets top seed Wawrinka at Japan Open

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese wild card Tatsuma Ito upset Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka 7-5, 6-2 in the first round of the Japan Open on Tuesday.

The No. 103-ranked Ito converted all four of his break-point chances to dispatch top-seeded Wawrinka at Ariake Coliseum.

He moved on to meet Benjamin Becker of Germany, who was leading Jarkko Nieminen 7-5, 4-1 when the Finn retired due to fatigue.

“It is the first time I have beaten a top-five player,” Ito said. “I tried my best on every point, and I was very focused. I was a little nervous, but I stuck to my game, and I finished well.”

Wawrinka, who won his Grand Slam breakthrough title at the Australian Open in January, is ranked No. 4 and could have ensured a spot at the ATP Finals by reaching the final in Tokyo.

“It was not a good day at the office,” Wawrinka said. “He started well, and then I was trying to come back in the match. First-round matches are never easy.”

Third-seeded Milos Raonic of Canada beat Bernard Tomic of Australia, 7-6 (3), 6-3 in their first meeting.

Raonic, a two-time runner-up at Tokyo, will next face Austrian Jurgen Melzer, who was leading 7-5, 4-1 when Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France retired due to a right leg injury.

In another upset, Michal Przysiezny of Poland rallied from a set down to defeat fifth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (9).

Also, Jeremy Chardy of France and Donald Young of the United States were winners.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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