Team Canada has split its opening matches at the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group first-round tie at the University of British Columbia Friday in Vancouver.
Vernon’s Vasek Pospisil, now based in Vancouver, opened the day with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 loss to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, while Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont. pulled Canada even with a 6-2, 6-4, 7-5 victory over Julien Benneteau.
Pospisil, 21, fell in one hour, 52 minutes to Tsonga, ranked sixth in the world. He won just 32 per cent of his second serves compared to Tsonga’s 60 per cent.
Pospisil is ranked a career-high No. 115
“Obviously, just to play at home like this, you can really use the momentum of the crowd, if you get that lead, or it could help you get back in the match,” Pospisil told Tennis Canada. “I had a little bit of a chance in the second set, but I let it get away. It’s different playing at home, but he’s just a good player, he’s five or six in the world, so he didn’t really give me any opportunities.”
Pospisil teamed up with doubles world No. 3 Daniel Nestor to take on Benneteau and doubles world No. 5 Michael Llodra in Saturday action.
Raonic and Tsonga are slated to battle today at 2 p.m. Live coverage can be seen on TVA Sports and Sportsnet.
