Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, British Columbia delivered one of the biggest wins of his tennis career on Tuesday in the first round of the 2019 United States Open from Flushing Meadows, New York. Pospisil upset the ninth seed, Karen Khachanov of Russia 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.
Currently ranked 216th in the world right now, Pospisil recorded his first win of 2019. He has only played since Wimbledon after undergoing back surgery in January.
Pospisil has had some impressive wins in his career. The list of players he has beaten include Andy Murray of Great Britain, Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic, Richard Gasquet of France, John Isner of the United States and Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina.
However when you look at the circumstances and the fact that Pospisil has not won a tennis match on the ATP Tour since beating fellow Canadian Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ontario in the quarterfinals of the 2018 European Open in Antwerp, Belgium last October 7-6, 7-5, the magnitude of this victory sinks in. He will next play Tennys Sandgren of the United States in the second round on Thursday.
Pospisil was one of three Canadians to win on Tuesday in the first round. In an all-Canadian matchup, which has now become regular on the ATP Tour, Denis Shapovalov of Toronto, Ontario beat the 18th seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal, Quebec 6-1, 6-1, 6-4. Also the 15th ranked Canadian on the women’s side, Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ontario beat Katie Volynets of the United States 6-2, 6-4. Shapovalov’s next opponent will be Henri Laaksonen of Switzerland and Andreescu’s next opponent will be Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium, the 2013 Wimbledon semifinalist.
