Vancouver’s Vasek Pospisil advances to second round at Sofia Open

SOFIA, Bulgaria – Vancouver’s Vasek Pospisil advanced to the second round of the Sofia Open with a 6-2, 5-7, 7-6 (5) win over Ukraine’s Illya Marchenko on Monday.

The 30-year-old Canadian saved eight of the 10 break points he faced in the tight match that took around two hours 44 minutes to complete. He broke Marchenko three times on seven chances.

Pospisil was accurate on 64 per cent of his first serves and won 79 per cent of first-serve points, including eight aces. He won 51 per cent of second-serve points.

Marchenko was accurate on 67 per cent of first serves but won just 63 per cent of those points, including four aces. He was more effective than Pospisil on second serves, winning 60 per cent of those points.

Pospisil improved his career record against Marchenko to 2-0.

Pospisil next faces fourth-seeded German Jan-Lennard Struff. Pospisil is 1-1 against Struff, and the two will meet for the first time since 2016.

Denis Shapovalov of Richmond Hill, Ont., is the top-seed at the ATP 250 indoor hardcourt event, and Felix Auger-Aliassime is seeded second. Both players have a first-round bye.

This report by The Canadian Press was first publishedNov. 9, 2020.