Pospisil avenges Auckland Open loss to Canadian teammate Shapovalov
Davis Cup teammates have now split their two head-to-head matches this season
Vasek Pospisil downed fellow Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-2, 6-3 Wednesday in second-round action at the Open Sud de France indoor hardcourt tennis tournament.
Pospisil won 90 per cent of first-serve points and 73 per cent of second-serve points, compared to 74 per cent and 44 per cent for Shapovalov.
Shapovalov was broken three times on six attempts by Pospisil, who never faced break point.
It was the second match of the season between Pospisil and Shapovalov, who teamed up to lead Canada to an appearance in the Davis Cup championship last year. Shapovalov beat Pospisil 6-4, 7-6 (2) in a second-round match at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand last month.
Shapovalov, from Richmond Hill, Ont., was playing his first match in Montpellier after getting a first-round bye as the third seed at the ATP 250 tournament. He entered the event as the top-ranked Canadian on the ATP Tour at No. 16, though Shapaovalov has now lost matches in a row after being eliminated in the opening round at the Australian Open.
Pospisil, from Vancouver, is ranked 132nd. Like Shapovalov, he lost in the first round at the first Grand Slam of the season.
Pospisil next faces the winner of a match between Feliciano Lopez and Richard Gasquet.
Fifth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Montreal faces Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France in a second-round match Thursday.