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 certainly one of a Davis Cup profession that may go down in Canadian tennis historical past.
He went out in fashion 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 at all times embraced him and been the location of many reminiscences, together with his first Masters 1000 semi-final on the Nationwide Financial institution Open introduced 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 at all times the event that meant essentially the most to him.
“Davis Cup has had such a big effect on my profession and life. Successful in 2022, I don’t suppose I’ve ever wished to win something extra then that title we gained there,” Pospisil reminisced about Canada being topped world champions. “I felt like that was a extremely huge, huge 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 event in Florida. It was the veteran passing the torch to the rookie, the identical method 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 comfy on the market simply figuring out that Vasek was main the workforce, that’s how I felt, and I assume that introduced a great stage out of me,” Draxl stated. “It was simply tremendous comforting enjoying in an enormous match, down 2-0, him (Vasek) making the calls and I used to be trusting the whole lot he was telling me on the market. I believe there was plenty of belief on the market and I undoubtedly believed in Vasek’s stage and data on the court docket. I used to be simply type of following his lead and making an attempt to do one of the best I might.”
Well-known for his infectious vitality on the court docket by the years and skill to raise his recreation when it mattered most, Pospisil instantly discovered himself on the receiving finish of that zeal and want enjoying subsequent to Draxl for the primary time.
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“I felt so comfy 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 laborious employee and he’s enjoying nice. He’s bought 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 will likely be missed by his teammates. His presence was vital and the legacy he leaves behind will likely be felt for generations to come back.
“Superb man, superb profession. We’re going to overlook him for positive on the workforce,” stated captain Frank Dancevic. “He introduced plenty of worth to the workforce together with his singles and doubles play and his charisma, on and off the court docket.”