Vasek Pospisil headed into the 2020 US open as an average 94th-ranked player, but after upsetting fellow Canadian, No. 18 Milos Raonic, he's getting attention for moving into the third round for the first time ever.
He has been playing Milos Raonic for years.
The two countrymen—boys back then—first faced off in an under-14 tournament and continue to battle throughout their junior careers, with Pospisil the dominant player in those showdowns. He also beat Raonic in three ITF future tournaments more than a decade ago. After losing twice on the ATP Tour to Raonic in their early days, Pospisil beat his friend in the second round of the 2018 European Open. So maybe today was less of an upset than the rankings would indicate.
He has a big serve of his own.
While Pospisil, 30, doesn’t quite match Raonic’s pace, he consistently nails the upper 120s and smashed in 23 aces in his first round win, followed by 20 aces today. That kind of power will give him a shooter’s chance against virtually anyone but the top returners.
He has been on a roll.
After a herniated disc sidelined Pospisil, he returned from the surgery and stepped up his play, helping Canada reach the 2019 Davis Cup final. In 2020, he has already beaten Denis Shapavalov, David Goffin, and Daniil Medvedev and reached his second career final. His first-round match was the first since the pandemic shutdown, so he may just be getting going again.
