Vasek Pospisil gets chance to avenge recent loss to Denis Shapovalov
Vasek Pospisil set up an all-Canadian matchup with Denis Shapovalov with a first-round win Monday at the Open Sud de France in Montpellier.
Pospisil, from Vancouver, beat Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round of the ATP Tour 250 indoor hard-court event.
The third-seeded Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., received a first-round bye.
Shapovalov, Canada’s top-ranked player at No. 16 in the world, beat Pospisil in their only career meeting earlier this year in Auckland. Both players are coming off first-round losses at the Australian Open.
The 132nd-ranked Pospisil dominated on Bedene’s second serve Monday, winning 16 of those 21 points against the 51st-ranked player in the world.
Pospisil saved all five of Bedene’s break-point chances.
Meanwhile, Shapovalov and Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime lost 6-4, 6-4 to No. 2 seeds Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands and Horia Tecau of Romania in first-round doubles action.
Auger-Aliassime is the No. 5 seed in the singles draw. He opens play Tuesday against qualifier Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
