VANCOUVER, August 15, 2018

Since he arrived in Vancouver late last week, Vasek Pospisil has emphasized how much this is his “home” tournament. The 28-year-old was born in Vernon, grew up in Vancouver, and won the Odlum Brown VanOpen singles title in 2013 – so it’s easy to understand why Pospisil considers it home.

On Tuesday night, he made his return to Centre Court and gutted out a tough 7-6, 3-6, 6-3 winover fellow Canadian  Vancouverite Benjamin Sigouin. The 19-year-old was no pushover and at one point was leading 3-2 in the third set before Pospisil battled back to win four games in a row. The encounter lasted lasted two hours and 23 minutes.

“I’m very happy to be through, I knew it was going to be a tough one. He’s a very talented young player, I thought he played really well and I had to be sharp,” said Pospisil, who won the Men’s Doubles title at Wimbledon in 2014 and has a career high World No. 25 ranking.

Pospisil will play Australian Marc Polmans in the second round. Other men advancing on Wednesday were Ruben Bemelmens, who knocked off Canadian rising star Felix AugerAliassime, former World No. 21 Gilles Muller, 2013 Odlum Brown VanOpen finalist Daniel Evans, and Italy’s Thomas Fabbiano, who beat Filip Peliwo of North Vancouver.

Kozlova, Boulter advance in women’s draw

Katie Boulter (photo: Bo Mon Kwan)

On the women’s side, two seeded players won and two were knocked out. Top seed Kateryna Kozlova topped Fiona Ferro 6-3, 6-3, while fifth seed Katie Boulter beat crowd favourite Francoise Abanda of Montreal 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Great Britain’s Heather Watson won against third seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 6-2 and Irina Khomacheva advanced when her opponent – and fourth seed – Ons Jabeur retired due to an illness.

In the first round of women’s main draw doubles, the Canadian team of Rebecca Marino and Carson Branstine needed a tiebreaker to get by the third seeds Alexa Guarachi of Chile and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand, 6-3, 3-6, 10-6.

Matches continue Wednesday, August 15 at 10 am, featuring Men’s First Round Singles and Quarterfinals Doubles, and Women’s First Round Singles and Doubles. For tickets, please click here.

Tuesday, August 14 – RESULTS
Men’s Singles First Round Main Draw
Vasek Pospisil (1), Canada def. (WC) Benjamin Sigouin, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3,
Ruben Bemelmans (8), Belgium def, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Canada, 6-4, 6-2,
Thomas Fabbiano (3), Italy, def. Filip Peliwo, Canada, 6-4, 6-2,
Marc Polmans, Australia, def. Evan King, United States, 6-2, 6-2,
Thanasi Kokkinakis, Australia, def. Jordan Thompson (2), Australia, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3,
Daniel Evans, Great Britain, def. Ernesto Escobedo, United States, 6-4, 6-4,
Lloyd Harris, South Afica, def. Thai-son Kwiatkowski, United States, 6-3, 6-4,
Borna Gojo, Croatia, def. Kevin King, United States, 6-4, 6-3,
Gilles Muller (5), Luxembourg, def. Christophe Eubanks, United States, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3,
JC Aragone, United States, def. Alex Bolt, Australia, 3-6,6-2-6-4.

Men’s Doubles First Round Main Draw
Austin Krajicek (3), United States, and Purav Raja, Indian, def. Luke Saville, Australia, and Ruan
Roelofse, South Africa, 6-3, 6-4,
Alex Lawson, United States, and Hunter Reese, United States, def. Gregoire Barrere, France,
and Quentin Halys, France, 6-7, 6-1, 10-6.

Women’s Singles Final Round Qualifying
Giuliana Olmos, Mexico, def. Carson Branstine, Canada, 6-1, 6-0,
Martina Trevisan (6), Italy, def. Maryna Zanevska (2), Belgium, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1,
Miaski Doi, Japan, def. Gail Brodsky, United States, 6-3, 7-6(6),
Julia Glushko (3), Israel, def. Emina Bektas, United States, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3

Women’s Singles First Round Main Draw
Kateryna Kozlova (1), Ukraine, def. Fiona Ferro, France, 6-3, 6-3,
Katie Boulter (5), Great Britain, def. Francoise Abanda, Canada, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2,
Heather Watson, Great Britain, def. Ekaterina Alexandrova, 6-2, 6-2,
Alexandra Dulgheru, Romania, def. Fanni Stollar, Hungary, 6-2, 6-1,
Irina Khromacheva, Russia, def. Ons Jabeur, Tunisia, 6-3, retired.

Women’s Doubles First Round Main Draw
(WC) Carson Branstine, Canada, and Rebecca Marino, Canada, def. Alexa Guarachi, Chile, and
Erin Routliffe (3), New Zealand, 6-3, 3-6, 10-6,
Marta Kostyuk, Ukraine, and Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstan, def. Jessica Failla, United States, and
Alexandra Vargramov, 6-3, 6-2,
Desirae Krawczyk, United States, and Giuliana Olmos (2), Mexico, def. Sanaz Marand, United
States, and Victoria Rodriguez, Mexico, 6-2, 6-2.