Anything is Pospisil? From two sets down, Vasek tops Troicki; Murray next

The first man through to the Wimbledon quarterfinals on Monday was unseeded Canadian Vasek Pospisil. After dropping the first two sets to 22nd-seeded Viktor Troicki, Pospisil picked up his game and rolled through the next three sets to win, 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

Pospisil, 25 years old and ranked No. 56, started off slowly, hitting more unforced errors than winners in the first set while dealing with an unfamiliarity with where he had found himself: It was Troicki’s third time in the fourth round of a Slam and Pospisil’s first.

Playing on intimate Court 12 amidst a loud and Canadian-supporting crowd, Pospisil began to find his range in the second set. But it wasn’t until the third set that it began to pay dividends. Reducing his unforced errors and settling in, Pospisil found his rhythm on return games and finally saw a break point. He made the most of it in what proved to be a turning point.

From there, the big-serving Pospisil began to build momentum, sealing two breaks of serve by converting both break points he earned in the fourth set. It was a clean stretch of tennis from both men, but Pospisil’s opportunistic return games and sheer use of power helped put him over the top.

At 6-foot-4, Pospisil’s strength lies in being aggressive and approaching the net. He consistently came in more often than Troicki, totaling 52 net approaches by the end of the match. The majority of that net confidence stems from Pospisil’s doubles success—he’s ranked No. 5, and is also the defending Wimbledon champion. With Jack Sock, Pospisil experienced his first taste of true success at the All England Club last year, flying through the draw to win the title as relative unknowns. Today, shortly after Pospisil’s singles win, the duo fell in the third round round in five sets to Jamie Murray and John Peers.

Pospisil discussed the benefits of doubles with the *Epoch Times* last year. “It’s great for working on certain shots and finishing points at the net, which is something I am trying to do more in my singles game. And if you have some good results in doubles it can give you added confidence on the singles court.”

Pospisil carried confidence and positive energy into the final set. At 4-3, with Troicki serving, Pospisil reached 15-30. But he made two routine rally errors to give Trocki the game point. But instead of faltering, Pospisil went for broke on a forehand return, and it miraculously landed in. As it turned out, that winning return sealed Troicki’s fate. Two subsequent winners gave Pospisil the break for 5-3.

"I made a couple of good adjustments on my return games," Pospisil said after the match. "And even being down two sets, it didn't faze me. I feel I'm pretty tough that way. Even if I'm down, I'm always finding ways to come back and trying to. So I did a good job. I was serving well and I made the right adjustments tactically on the return."

In the final game, Troicki caused a little drama by saving one match point after losing his cool at the umpire over a late challenge on a serve. Pospisil calmly sealed the match on his second match point after rushing the net once more. After a slow start, Pospisil converted four out of eight break points in the final three sets, while Troicki was just one for one overall.

“He was serving unbelievable and I didn’t have many chances on his serve,” Troicki said. “He took his chances and played more aggressively than me.”

Despite the loss, this was an encouraging result for Troicki, whose history is tainted by a doping scandal. Once ranked as high as No. 12, the Serbian refused a blood test in Monte Carlo in 2013 and served a reduced suspension of six months. Troicki’s ranking dropped to No. 842, but he has worked his way back and sits at a formidable No. 24.

Troicki was also the man who took out Rafael Nadal’s avenger, Dustin Brown, in the previous round. As such, Pospisil has been fortunate and skilled enough to take advantage of a relatively light section of the draw. He took out 30th seed Fabio Fognini in the second round and overcame James Ward in five sets before taking out Troicki.

Pospisil has come a long way from where he grew up in Vernon, British Columbia. With 40,000 residents, it’s the opposite of a tennis mecca. He steadily put in the hours and made the sacrifices early on to become a well-rounded junior, climbing the ranks in Canada before going after the ITF junior circuit (reaching a high of No. 24). I first met Pospisil when he was seven years old, and our families bonded over mutual desires to build tennis-playing children.

Our paths crossed often in British Columbia, and when he was a teenager, Pospisil and his family would travel down to my parents’ south Florida home every winter to train for Eddie Herr and the Orange Bowl, two huge junior tournaments. Sometimes they even made the trip down in an RV, equipped with music by one of his favorite bands, the Beatles. Family support was huge for Pospisil at an early age, and looking at his courtside box, it’s no different now.

Determination is also what has helped Pospisil set himself apart as a pro. He’s faced quite a few injury setbacks and is still on the hunt for his first ATP title, but the stars seem to be aligning right now. While Milos Raonic and Eugenie Bouchard have been lapping up all of the attention as the top Canadians, Pospisil is finally moving into the spotlight, and it’s well deserved. He’s earned the right to face 2013 champion Andy Murray for a spot in the semifinals.