VANCOUVER/STARNBERG, August 18, 2022
A sold-out, hometown crowd at the Odlum Brown VanOpen on Wednesday night lifted Canada’s Vasek Pospisil to a gutsy 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 win in two hours and 47 minutes over Australian Jordan Thompson and booked his spot in the quarterfinals at the ATP Challenger Tour 125 hard-court event.
“It was very tough. I got a second wind in the third set, but I was feeling terrible and I don’t know how I pulled through, to be honest. (I had) just brain fog and sweat through my whole bag,” explained a visibly exhausted Pospisil in a post-match interview with Odlum Brown VanOpen Tournament Director Rik de Voest.
Pospisil, a 32-year-old who resides in Vancouver, professed that the robust crowd support was integral to his success in the match. He’s now set to face former World No. 6 Gilles Simon in a quarterfinal match on Friday. The 37-year-old Frenchman punched his ticket to the the stage of the last eight with a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(0) upset of No. 2 seed Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic in two hours and 20 minutes.
Giles Simon after his win over Jiri Vesely 2-6 6-3 7-6 at the @Odlum_Brown #vanopen. He’s through to the quarter finals. Allez! #ATP #atpchallenger #tennis pic.twitter.com/fWJAmtn211
— Odlum Brown VanOpen (@vanopentennis) August 17, 2022
In other action, third-seeded Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech rallied past Elias Ymer from Sweden 3-6, 7-6(8), 6-2 in two hours and 28 minutes.
The World No. 64, who is seeking his fifth ATP Challenger career crown, will next play Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania. The sixth favourite beat local wild card entry Gabriel Diallo 6-4, 6-1 in one hour and 10 minutes.
