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Canada's Milos Raonic prepares to serve to France's Julien Benneteau during the first set of a Davis Cup tennis singles match in Vancouver, B.C., on Friday February 10, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl DyckThe Canadian Press

A snarling beaver, flanked by tennis racquets, framed by a maple leaf, and the slogan: "Not on our court."



These images and words were emblazoned on small red towels handed out to tennis fans Friday, as Canada played host to France in the Davis Cup. Staged at an arena at the University of British Columbia, a venue home to women's hockey in the 2010 Winter Olympics, Canada aimed to conjure a hockey-like nationalist fan fervour against the favoured French.



As afternoon ebbed to evening in Vancouver, a boisterous crowded cheered on Milos Raonic, Canada's highest-ranked singles player ever at No. 29 in the world. Raonic, playing confident, dominating tennis, delivered 24 aces – some blasted upward of 230 kilometres an hour – and didn't lose a single service game.



The performance carried Raonic to a 6-2, 6-4, 7-5 victory over No. 35 Julien Benneteau, a win that puts Canada at a respectable 1-1 against France in the best-of-five competition going into matches on Saturday and Sunday.

"I'm eager, and I'm hungry. I want to be one of the best," said Raonic of his rapid ascent in tennis, and his decisive win against a player who beat him just three months ago.



A key moment came late. Tied 5-5 in the third set, Raonic forced deuce, and then the 21-year-old controlled two spirited rallies, winning both points to break. The crowd erupted.



Canada tried to evoke home-court advantage through the day. A marching band drummed up a rattle outside the arena before the matches, and banged out support inside between sets. Fans, many dressed in red, waved flags, blared horns.



"Make some noise, this is our house," the arena announcer urged in the afternoon as Canada's Vasek Pospisil was overmatched against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, ranked No 6. in the world.



Still, while tickets for the Davis Cup sold out in less than an hour late last year, the crowd of 5,000 or so on Friday did not overwhelm. The veteran French did not appear unduly rattled. There were, however, moments when the crowd became feverish, such as just before Raonic scored an important break point in the second set. And later in the Raonic match, the announcer warned the crowd that its "enthusiasm is bothering the players" – presumably the visitors.



There had been talk this week, by players and coaches on both sides, that emotion and the playing-for-your-country element of the Davis Cup would at least somewhat minimize the fact France is superior on paper, and on court.



But on Friday, paper rankings generally translated to on-court results. Pospisil, a 21-year-old Vancouver local who is No. 115 in the world, had some impressive moments against Tsonga, but was never really in the match, as the Frenchman won in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3. Pospisil was unable to break Tsonga, and had only one chance to do so in a match that lasted a little less than two hours.



Fighting through "a nervous start," Pospisil said Tsonga quickly took advantage.



"He pounced, played very well, and didn't let me back into the match," Pospisil said.



In the day's second tilt, it was Raonic who was in control from the start. He broke Benneteau in the first game of the match and cruised through the first set.



In the second game of the second set, Raonic blasted two consecutive aces, which sparked a wry comment from a partisan in the crowd. "Just sit down and wait for the next game," the wag shouted to Benneteau.



The second set was tighter but at 4-4 Raonic managed the set's only break and won 6-4.



Raonic's Davis Cup win over Benneteau reverses the loss he suffered at the Frenchman's hands in their only other meeting, last November in Paris when Benneteau won 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the first round of a tournament.



Coming out of the first of three days of competition tied at one against France would be good news for Canada. Canada is in the top tier of the Davis Cup, the world group, for the first time in eight years, and it is only Canada's fourth world group appearance in the modern history of the tournament.



It was two decades ago, in Vancouver, when Canada almost upended a much stronger rival in the world group. Canada was ahead 2-0 against Sweden before losing 3-2. Daniel Nestor, then 19, upset world No. 1 Stefan Edberg the first day.



This year, Nestor is the veteran, the key for Canada on Saturday, as the world's No. 3 doubles player partners with Pospisil against Benneteau and Michael Llodra, who is ranked No. 5 in doubles.

But the lineup is not fixed. Coaches can make changes up to an hour before a match. Martin Laurendeau, Canada's coach, talked of "variables in play" that might see the composition of the doubles team change. On the French side, Gael Monfils, ranked No 13 in the world and nursing an injured right knee, is the question. He was missed by France on Friday, as it would have been him, not Benneteau, against Raonic, which could have produced a different result.

Friday night, after the arena was empty, Monfils practiced at length, with vigour. He could well emerge on Sunday to play, said French coach Guy Forget, who added that he may also shuffle his doubles team.



Sunday concludes the affair, with two more singles matches, scheduled to be Raonic vs. Tsonga, and Pospisil vs. Benneteau.



On Friday, Pospisil could not repeat his Davis Cup heroics of last September. On the road against Israel, he played his best tennis to win two singles matches and help win in doubles, with Nestor. The performance secured the victory that propelled Canada to the world group.



In the hockey-rink-turned-tennis-court, Pospisil displayed some fine moments. In the third game of the second set, he fought off three break points to hold serve against Tsonga to go up 2-1.



Tsonga, however, was in strong form, running down balls across vast distances several times to win points through the match.



Later in the second set, tied at three games, Pospisil's uneven play hurt him. He double faulted on the serve at break point, and Tsonga didn't cede another game in the set. Pospisil had 36 unforced errors in the match, more than double Tsonga's 16, and barely got half his first serves in.



The winner of Canada-France plays the winner of Switzerland-United States. Canada has never advanced past the first round of the world group.



The Americans bolted ahead of Swiss 2-0 on Friday in Switzerland, with John Isner overcoming Roger Federer in the second singles match, snapping Federer's 15-match winning streak at the Davis Cup.



Isner, who is best known for his 11-hour, three-day match at Wimbledon in 2010, was effusive on court after his win over a tennis legend.



"It's the greatest win of my life," Isner said.

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