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TOKYO -- Frank Dancevic wanted to give it his all in Canadas do-or-die singles match against Japans Kei Nishikori at the Davis Cup on Sunday. But unfortunately for the Niagara Falls, Ont., native, a pulled muscle wouldnt allow him to go past the second set. Japan sealed its victory over Canada in the first-round Davis Cup tie after Nishikori downed an ailing Dancevic 6-2, 1-0. Later Sunday, Peter Polansky of Thornhill, Ont., lost to Go Soeda in the fifth match 6-1, 6-4 to increase Japans margin to 4-1. "Kei came out playing really well today and once I pulled a stomach muscle early in the second set there was no way I could stay with him when I could only serve at 20 per cent..." Dancevic said. "Under other circumstances I probably wouldnt have even stepped on the court with the way I was feeling, but this is Davis Cup and I wanted to give it all I had and push to the limit because this situation means a lot to me." Dancevic, ranked 119th in mens singles, held his serve during the first game, but World No. 18 Nishikori went on to break twice and win the next five games to eventually take the set. After being broken to start the second set, Dancevic took a medical timeout and was forced to retire, handing the match and the tie to Japan. Canada will play a World Group playoff in September in hopes of keeping its spot in the upper echelon of the competition. Japan, meanwhile, will face the winner of a tie between the Czech Republic and the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarter-finals. The Canadian squad was missing its top two singles players at the tournament as both No. 11 Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., and No. 25 Vasek Pospisil of Vancouver were unable to recover from injuries in time to play. Polansky, who lost Canadas first singles match to Nishikori on Friday, replaced Raonic. Dancevic stepped in for Pospisil in the doubles match with Daniel Nestor on Saturday. The Canadian duo, who hadnt played together in three years, lost to Nishikori and Yasutaka Uchiyama 6-3, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-4. "We just battled with so many things this week and nothing really went our way when it came to injuries," said Canadian team captain Martin Laurendeau. "Its obviously disappointing but you cant blame these guys. They gave their all. "... Frank and Peter stepped in and left everything on the court every time they went out there. With what we accomplished last year (reaching the semifinal) we didnt want to take a step back like this but hopefully everyone gets healthy and has a strong season and we can fight hard to keep our spot in September." Hydro Flask Clearance . -- Jerome Williams glanced at Philadelphias schedule and realized he would be facing the Oakland Athletics yet again, with another new team. Wholesale Hydro Flask . Josh Mazzola drove in five runs to lead the Goldeyes (20-12) past the Capitales 11-5 Friday night at Le Stade Municipal in Quebec City. http://www.wholesalehydroflask.com/ .J. -- Jaromir Jagr has hit so many NHL milestones this season for the New Jersey Devils that he is starting to downplay them. Hydro Flask Cheapest . - Gary Kubiak is John Elways No. Hydro Flask Sale . The Durban-based Sharks withstood a furious second-half fightback to beat the Queensland Reds 35-20 for a fourth straight win which gave them a five-point lead atop the championship table. The Hamilton-based Chiefs scored two late tries to beat the Cape Town-based Stormers 36-20 for their third win, after the Stormers rallied from 24-6 down to 24-20 with six minutes remaining.NEW YORK -- Attention, shoppers! Free agency in the NBA is open, and LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony are available. Players and teams could begin negotiating just past midnight EDT on Tuesday morning, though contracts cant be signed until July 10, after next seasons salary cap has been set. James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who joined together in Miami in 2010 and have led the Heat to two championships and four straight NBA Finals, all became free agents. Though many expect that trio to stay with the Heat, Anthony could be persuaded to leave the New York Knicks for a team he believes gives him a better chance to compete for a championship. He was visiting Chicago on Tuesday, and Houston and Dallas also could try to pry the 2012-13 scoring champion away from the Knicks, who can pay him around $30 million more than any team under NBA rules. Longtime stars Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol also are free agents, along with players such as Torontos Kyle Lowry and Indianas Lance Stephenson, who are coming off their best seasons in the league. Its the most anticipated free agency class since 2010, when James led a class that included Wade, Bosh, and other All-Stars such as Amare Stoudemire and Joe Johnson. That free agency period changed the NBA. This one might mostly change the Heat. They are in need of an upgrade after getting smashed by San Antonio in the finals, and the Big Three could help give them the means to make one if they agree to salaries that wont clog up too much of the cap. Knicks president Phil Jackson hopes Anthony also agrees to take less than a maximum salary, which would be more than $125 million if he stayed in New York.dddddddddddd Also in New York, the Brooklyn Nets stagger into free agency without their coach after letting Jason Kidd leave for the Milwaukee Bucks. The teams agreed to a deal Monday, with the Bucks sending two future second-round picks to the Nets, who allowed Kidd to pursue other jobs after denying his request for more power in the organization. Brooklyn has Pierce and Shaun Livingston among its key players who are free agents. The Los Angeles Lakers have plenty of money to offer, along with the chance to play with Kobe Bryant. Teams such as Phoenix and Atlanta have some good pieces in place and enough cap space to add another. They would love a shot at James, as would his home state Cleveland Cavaliers, the team he left in 2010. But its unclear how seriously the four-time MVP will listen to other teams after meeting with six suitors when he was last a free agent. The Cavaliers may not get James back, but they will have their current All-Star for a while. Owner Dan Gilbert wrote on Twitter early Tuesday morning that he had an agreement on a five-year contract extension with Kyrie Irving, the No. 1 pick in the 2011 draft. "Looking forward to the next 6 years of Kyrie Irving in CLE. Just shook hands & intend to sign on the 10th," Gilbert wrote, adding that he couldnt be more excited about the Cavs future. Players such as Clevelands Luol Deng and Washingtons Trevor Ariza could be good fallback options for teams who cant get James or Anthony. ' ' '