Tennis

Vasek Pospisil sinks Sousa at ASB Classic, sets up date against Shapovalov

Vancouver's Vasek Pospisil downed Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-4, 6-2 on Tuesday in the first round of the ASB Classic, setting up an all-Canadian second-round tilt.

Davis Cup teammates become foes in round of 16 clash on Tuesday

Canada's Vasek Pospisil celebrates after winning a Davis Cup semifinal doubles match in 2019. After a lengthy rain delay, Pospisil defeated Portugal's João Sousa in the Auckland Open round of 32 on Monday. (Bernat Armangue/The Associated Press)

Vancouver's Vasek Pospisil downed Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-4, 6-2 on Tuesday in the first round of the ASB Classic, setting up an all-Canadian second-round tilt.

Pospisil will face second-seeded Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ontario on Wednesday at the ATP 250-level tournament.

Shapovalov, the top-ranked Canadian at No. 13, received a bye into the second round.

The 146th-ranked Pospisil fired five aces to Sousa's two and won 83 per cent of his first-service points en route to upsetting his No. 58-ranked opponent.

The match was interrupted by rain with Pospisil leading 4-2 in the second set.