Auger-Aliassime fires 11 aces in quarterfinal comeback victory in Spain
The Montreal native fired 11 aces and broke Medjedovic three times on six chances.
Auger-Aliassime will face Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands in Friday's semifinal at the grass-court event.
Griekspoor beat Montreal's Gabriel Diallo 6-4, 6-4 earlier Thursday.
Diallo had eight aces but couldn't convert his lone break-point opportunity.
The six-foot-eight Diallo, who entered the tournament with a career-high No. 41 ranking, is due to make his main-draw debut at Wimbledon next week.
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Globe and Mail
3 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Pospisil gets a heartfelt sendoff at National Bank Open
Vasek Pospisil's last-ever professional match was a gruelling three-setter that ended in a standing ovation Sunday night at the National Bank Open, followed by a teary farewell speech. On a hot, humid evening, before a big opening night crowd, the Vernon, B.C. native stretched out his farewell night of pro tennis as best he could. He winced through pains and crushed some winners too, before ultimately losing to Argentina's Bagnis Facundo, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. 'I have mixed emotions when it comes to this sport,' Pospisil reflected afterward. 'It's a really, really tough sport, physically and mentally, and at some point you burn out. At least I did.' From Vernon, B.C. to Wimbledon, Vasek Pospisil's tennis career proves 'Anything is Pospisil' With the loss, the 35-year-old Canadian called time on an 18-year tennis career that saw him reach a career-high singles ranking of No. 25, and a win a Wimbled doubles title. As a long-serving member of Team Canada, he also helped deliver the country's first-ever Davis Cup title in 2022. Pospisil was also an outspoken advocate for athlete rights, founding the first Professional Tennis Players Association alongside Novak Djokovic in 2019. The veteran player from Vernon, B.C received a main-draw wild card for the event in Toronto to play his farewell. A large group of his friends and family attended Sunday's farewell match. Another Canadian trailblazer, doubles legend Daniel Nestor, was there watching. Pospisil's mom Mila was there, and his dad Milos too, who coached him until he was 20. They made lengthy father-son trips by car or in a mobile home to save money in the early days. Canada had welcomed the couple and their two older sons after they escaped the former Czechoslovakia. Vasek was born in Vernon shortly after, in 1990. Pospisil had been largely absent from tournaments in recent years as he rehabbed various injuries. Prior to Sunday, he'd played just two singles matches in 2025, both at Challengers in Canada, each losses in qualifying. His last ATP Tour-level appearance was the 2024 National Bank Open in Montreal, where he lost in the first round. In this edition Sunday night, for his finale, Pospisil drew a fellow 35-year-old for an opponent, a player ranked 772nd who came through qualifying. Bagnis was leading 4-2 in the opening set when Pospisil left the court with a trainer to treat an apparent groin injury. The near-full Sobey's Stadium cheered the Canadian's return a few minutes later. 'I wish I could have not pulled my muscle in the fifth game of the match and enjoyed the match a bit more,' Pospisil would later say, with a chuckle. The 6-foot-4 player from B.C appeared to wince and step gingerly while moving about the court when the match resumed. Pospisil has had several injuries throughout his career and has spent much of the past few years rehabbing. During his best years on the ATP Tour, Pospisil had made the quarterfinals in singles at Wimbledon and reached three tour-level singles finals. Longevity is hard in this physically demanding sport. It's gruelling to come back when you've been away. Pospisil lost the first set and then appeared to find a second wind while breaking Bagnis early in the second and giving his family a big fist pump as the Toronto crowd got a chance to bellow. The Canadian delivered a huge winner down the line to make it 5-3, clenching his fist and roaring like he used to, as his family rose to their feet. He forced a third set and hollered again. Pospisil tired down the stretch. The third set had some of those beauty drop shots that helped Pospisil succeed in doubles. Fans chanted his name. Ultimately the Canadian ran out of steam. After the loss on Sunday, Canadians rose to their feet to salute the long-standing player. 'It's kind of tough to win a match like that on one leg. Of course, I wasn't going to retire or pull out, I had to finish my last match,' he said. Then a thank-you video played inside Sobey's Stadium with a montage of Pospisil's biggest career moments. Through tears, he then delivered an emotional thank-you speech to everyone seated in his player box – from family to coaches and Davis Cup teammates. 'Thanks for telling me over the years that a Pospisil never quits,' he said to his father. When asked in his post-match press conference why he always prioritized playing for his country while many ATP players choose not to make the time for it, the freshly retired player responded frankly: 'I don't understand players that don't play Davis Cup and don't play Olympics. I genuinely don't,' said Pospisil. 'I think it's just a no-brainer to play for your country, and it's good for everybody, good for you, good for your energy. . . Okay, prioritize a week of rest to have you fresh for one of a thousand tournaments that you're going to play in your career, or go and represent your country… I think, a lot of times, it comes down to money for these guys, and that's just not the right way to look at it.' Pospisil is the first of two significant Canadian tennis players to mark their official retirements at the current NB Open. Genie Bouchard will also call it a career at the WTA edition in Montreal.
National Post
5 hours ago
- National Post
Arseneault opens NBO with straight sets win over Royer
Wild-card entry Nicolas Arseneault of Richmond Hill, Ont., will be among those saluting Vasek Pospisil as the Canadian tennis veteran begins play in his final National Bank Open tournament on Sunday night. Article content The 18-year-old Arseneault warmed up for the evening's featured match by knocking off 24-year-old qualifier Valentin Royer of France 6-3, 7-6 (4) in one hour, 45 minutes on the grandstand court at Sobeys Stadium. Article content Article content Article content Royer had more winners (21-14) than Arseneault, but had more unforced errors (48-23). Article content The Canadian had five aces, four double faults, a first serve percentage of 68, and won five of 11 break points. Article content Royer had three aces, six double faults, a first serve percentage of 61 and only won four of nine break points. Article content The 35-year-old Pospisil, from Vernon, B.C., will play Facundo Bagnis of Argentina on centre court in his opening round men's singles match. Article content Pospisil has a career-high singles ranking of world No. 25, and No. 4 in doubles. Along with partner Jack Sock, he won the 2014 Wimbledon Championships and the 2015 Indian Wells Masters men's doubles titles. He also reached the quarterfinals in singles at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships.
Globe and Mail
6 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Victoria Mboko tops Aussie Kimberly Birrell in National Bank Open debut
Toronto's Victoria Mboko made good on her first impression in front of the Montreal faithful Sunday in opening-round action at the National Bank Open tennis tournament. Mboko, making her main draw debut on home soil, powered her way past Australia's Kimberly Birrell 7-5, 6-3, on a scorching afternoon on IGA Stadium's Centre Court. Mboko utilized her big and powerful service game, hammering 15 aces, which regularly exceeded 180 km/h. She also mixed in some solid forehand winners to energize the crowd all throughout her 90-plus minutes spent on court. Mboko got off to a strong start, breaking Birrell on the Aussie's opening service game to go up 2-0. However, Birrell immediately broke back the following game. Both players held serve until the set's 12th and final game, with Mboko breaking the serve of her opponent to take the opener 7-5. Mboko was gifted a break in the fourth game of the second set, with Birrell committing a costly double-fault to put the Canadian ahead 3-1. Mboko never looked back from there, holding serve three times to pull away with the straight-sets victory. The 18-year-old Mboko, currently ranked No. 88 in the world, was one of seven Canadians awarded a wild card into the WTA 1000 main draw. Although she was born in North Carolina, Mboko moved to Toronto as a young child with her family and represents Canada on tour. Mboko has enjoyed a meteoric rise up the WTA rankings in 2025, having started the season as the 350th-ranked player in the world. Mboko improved to 46-8 this season across all competitions thanks to Sunday's victory, which also included a stretch of 22 consecutive match wins – all in straight sets - at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Challenger tour level. Mboko also impressed at the Grand Slam level, qualifying for both the French Open and Wimbledon this season, where she reached the third and second round, respectively. Mboko's first-round win sets up a meeting with American Sofia Kenin in the second round. The 23rd-seeded Kenin earned an automatic bye into the second round by virtue of her ranking. Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., opened Centre Court action earlier in the day, falling to Romania's Jaqueline Cristian 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 in her first-round match. 'I think I came out pretty strong and played well in the first set,' the 20-year-old Stakusic said. 'She just kept hanging in there. She didn't give me many free points and she served really well. She was pretty level-headed the whole match.' The 142nd-ranked Stakusic, in her fourth appearance at the NBO, was making her main draw debut in Montreal after bowing out in the second round of last year's tournament held in Toronto. 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova also advanced to the second round for the second straight time in Montreal, dispatching 20-year-old Philippine phenom Alexandra Eala 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 in a spirited three-set battle. The night session will feature a pair of Canadian veterans on Centre Court. Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., will match up against two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova. The 25-year-old Canadian, who won the NBO in Toronto in 2019, is coming off a strong showing at the Hopman Cup last week in Italy, as she teamed up with Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime to capture the exhibition team tournament. Vancouver's Rebecca Marino will take on French qualifier Elsa Jacquemot. The 34-year-old Marino has struggled this season, winning just one WTA Tour-level match all year. Sunday marks the start of a revamped 12-day, 96-player format. Action continues daily at IGA Stadium through to the final on Aug. 7.
