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Pospisil earns date with Shapovalov after first-round win

MONTPELLIER, France — Vasek Pospisil set up an all-Canadian matchup with Denis Shapovalov with a first-round win Monday at the Open Sud de France.

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.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 3, 2020.

The Canadian Press

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