It’s the top of an extremely profitable period for Vasek Pospisil with Canada’s Davis Cup workforce. The 34-year-old introduced that his doubles match towards Hungary was the ultimate one in every of a Davis Cup profession that may go down in Canadian tennis historical past.
He went out in type with a classic efficiency alongside Liam Draxl to maintain his squad alive within the Qualifiers First Spherical tie at IGA Stadium. It was one other shining second for Pospisil in Montreal, a metropolis that has all the time embraced him and been the positioning of many recollections, together with his first Masters 1000 semi-final on the Nationwide Financial institution Open offered by Rogers in 2013. Pospisil’s achievements in tennis are quite a few, together with a Grand Slam doubles title at Wimbledon in 2014 with Jack Sock, however Davis Cup was all the time the match that meant essentially the most to him.
“Davis Cup has had such a big effect on my profession and life. Profitable in 2022, I don’t assume I’ve ever needed to win something extra then that title we received there,” Pospisil reminisced about Canada being topped world champions. “I felt like that was a extremely large, large second for me.”
Fifteen years of loyalty, 35 ties, and 33 wins, together with 18 in doubles, is the stuff Davis Cup legends are fabricated from and Pospisil definitely qualifies. It’s becoming that his curtain name got here alongside his inheritor obvious, Draxl, who rose to the event in his Workforce Canada debut, 17 years after getting his image taken with Pospisil on the U12 Eddie Herr junior match in Florida. It was the veteran passing the torch to the rookie, the identical means Daniel Nestor paved the way in which for Pospisil. The prolific pair performed 11 Davis Cup doubles matches collectively earlier than Nestor retired, leaving Pospisil to take over the reins.
“I used to be so snug on the market simply understanding that Vasek was main the workforce, that’s how I felt, and I assume that introduced an excellent stage out of me,” Draxl stated. “It was simply tremendous comforting enjoying in a giant match, down 2-0, him (Vasek) making the calls and I used to be trusting every thing he was telling me on the market. I believe there was a variety of belief on the market and I undoubtedly believed in Vasek’s stage and information on the courtroom. I used to be simply sort of following his lead and attempting to do the most effective I might.”
Well-known for his infectious vitality on the courtroom by the years and skill to raise his recreation when it mattered most, Pospisil abruptly discovered himself on the receiving finish of that zeal and need enjoying subsequent to Draxl for the primary time.
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“I felt so snug on the market with Liam which speaks volumes for each his talent and vitality, it’s an incredible mixture,” Pospisil defined. I felt like he’s been there for years, I felt like we had performed collectively many instances. He’s a fantastic child; an excellent exhausting employee and he’s enjoying nice. He’s received a fantastic future forward and there’s no query he’ll be on the workforce for a few years enjoying doubles.”
There’s no query that Pospisil can be missed by his teammates. His presence was vital and the legacy he leaves behind can be felt for generations to come back.
“Superb man, superb profession. We’re going to overlook him for certain on the workforce,” stated captain Frank Dancevic. “He introduced a variety of worth to the workforce together with his singles and doubles play and his charisma, on and off the courtroom.”
