Skip to content

Vernon’s Vasek Pospisil moves into second round at US Open

Canadian tennis star scores straight-sets win over German foe in Grand Slam tournament
22586675_web1_200318-RDA-TEN-Coronavirus-Pospisil_1
Vernon’s Vasek Pospisil has advanced to the second round at the US Open Tennis Championships in New York following a straight-sets win over a German opponent. (AP file photo)

Vernon’s Vasek Pospisil is on to the second round at the US Open Tennis Championships in New York.

Pospisil, ranked No. 92 in the world, defeated Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber (No. 74) 7-6, 7-5, 7-6 in their opening round match Tuesday, Sept. 1. He served 23 aces against Kohlschreiber in the win.

Pospisil is one of five Canadians entered in singles play.

Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, seeded 15th in the tournament, won his opening-round match Tuesday in four sets over Brazil’s Thiego Monteiro.

After coming back from an injury that kept him out of the end of the 2019 season, Pospisil was having a great start to the year, notably reaching the final at the ATP 250 event in Marseilles back in February.

Pospisil has never advanced past the second round in New York in his US Open singles history. In doubles, the 2014 Wimbledon champ with American partner Jack Sock has never advanced past the third round.

Pospisil is not entered in the doubles draw at the US Open.

Kohlschreiber has eight career tour victories. His best results at the US Open came in 2017 and 2018. He lost in the first round in 2019.

Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont. is the highest-ranked Canadian in singles play, coming in at No. 17., and will be the tournament’s 12th seed. He won his first-round match Monday.

Ontario’s Milos Raonic is the 25th seed and played his first-round match late Monday against Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer. A win over Mayer and Raonic would face Pospisil in Round 2.

On the women’s side, Leylah Annie Fernandez of Laval, Que. is the only Canadian in singles action. She will be competing in her second Grand Slam main draw, having won all her qualifying matches at the Australian Open earlier this year. She will be taking on Vera Zvonareva of Russia in the opening round.

Defending women’s singles champion Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., pulled out of the tournament as she continues to recover from a knee injury suffered in October 2019.

READ MORE: Spain wins Davis Cup; Vernon’s Vasek Pospisil held out of singles play

READ MORE: Vasek Pospisil boosts Canada to Davis Cup tennis quarterfinal