Rogers cup: Polansky, lifts and carries in the face Pospisil

Photo: Annik MH de Carufel Le Devoir
Peter Polansky

For a second time this week, on Wednesday afternoon, the Canadian Peter Polansky will have the privilege to evolve on the centre court of the Uniprix stadium, in front of tennis enthusiasts in Quebec. Remains to be seen if he will benefit from their support, because it will deliver battle to a living legend who has the habit to obtain the support of the public wherever it is presented.

Polansky has earned the right to face the Swiss Roger Federer — so right there, the way Federer is playing this year — thanks to a victory in two sets of 7-5, 6-2, against his compatriot Vasek Pospisil.

The latter began the game with strength, winning the first three games before we build a cushion to 5-2. But Pospisil has suddenly lost all its means to the point of view of his compatriot, 29-year-old won 11 of the last 13 games of the match and nine in a row at some point.

Photo: Annik MH de Carufel Le Devoir
Vasek Pospisil

“The turning point, it is the right shot easy to that I missed while I was serving at 5-3, 40-40. I don’t know what happened, but the wind has turned completely,” summary Pospisil, who will play doubles with Daniel Nestor on Tuesday.

Polansky, 116th player in the world, has put an end to the duel by scoring his second ace of the match.

“I have a bad start and he played better than me the bottom line, at the start. I sent a few too many balls in the net, and I told myself to relax, to lift the ball a little, to keep it deeper, and extend the point. Suddenly, I started to pass all my shots and he was hitting his own too strong,” explained Polansky.

This will be the second time that Polansky will play against Federer. During his last visit in Canada, in 2014, Federer won 6-2, 6-0, in 52 minutes in a match of the second round.

“I remember that it had gone very, very quickly, he started laughing. I have the feeling that I had played a good game against him. I watched the highlights later and there have been several fine points. But I lost them all. If I remember correctly, I was not very well served, this can be a problem because it puts you in danger from the first ball. The key will be to serve well, like today.”

Del Potro goes on to the second round

Earlier in the evening, the Argentine Juan Martin del Potro has made a mockery of the 24 aces from American John Isner to sign a victory in two short identical 7-5.

Del Potro put an end to the sequence of eight triumphs of Isner which had enabled him to uncheck the titles of the tournaments in Newport and Atlanta in July, its 11th and 12th in career.

Without being as spectacular as his rival six feet ten inches, while he has merely nine aces, del Potro, a finalist in Montreal in 2009, has been equally solid in not conceding any chance of breakage. For its part, the Argentine has caused seven chances to break, including six in the second inning, and converted two, one per set.

The two lads have been so intractable in the service that it took until the 11th game of the round initial to attend a first chance of breakage. The privilege is returned to del Potro, who took advantage of the second double fault by Isner in the match to give the advance 6-5.

Photo: Annik MH de Carufel Le Devoir
Juan Martin del Potro

After a break of 35 minutes because of rain, del Potro took advantage of a direct error of the 14th-seeded to complete the first round in 53 minutes.

During the second set, the 11th game was again good for the Argentine.

After a long battle of eight minutes in which del Potro was given three balls of breakage, he saw Isner to return a backhand in the net, which allowed him to, once again, to break the deadlock in his favor.

The next game, the service, del Potro has done a masterful passing of the forehand in parallel with his second match ball to end the bout after 1: 49 of action.

“I’m in good shape at the moment, I have the chance to play after several years where I was injured. And I start with a good victory against Isner. The sensation is pleasant, I want to improve my game and win matches,” said del Potro.

The Australian Kyrgios has not made waves

The past of the Australian Nick Kyrgios continues to follow him even if he happens, as was the case Monday on the centre court of the Uniprix Stadium, to play a tennis match without making waves.

Against the Serbian ViktorTroicki (6-1, 6-2 in 51 minutes) in the curtain raising of the component male of the Rogers Cup, Kyrgios delivered a performance of quality. Its powerful service has enabled eight aces and face no ball breakage. He also won 21 points out of 24, after having put his first ball in the game and has conceded only nine points on his service.

Kyrgios has been so dominant that he has experienced a sequence of 18 consecutive points, the final two of the inning initial and the first 16 of the second round.

Yet, Kyrgios thought he could have done better, even if it is slowed down by injuries to a shoulder and a hip. Also, he believes that he faced a rival in bad shape.

“I don’t have the impression of having hit the ball today. My services were average. And it is far from having played his best tennis. He went through a difficult time physically. We are all in the same boat. I wish him all he best. It is a very good guy and we are good friends. “

Duels Us.U.–France

The program of the afternoon was the scene of three clashes France–the United States, and the French nation emerged victorious from two of them.

On centre court, Gael Monfils recovered from a poor start to the encounter to eliminate American Steve Johnson in three sets 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1.

His compatriot Benoit Paire also needed three sets to eliminate Donald Young, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, but Jared Donaldson has prevented the hat-trick of French in surprising hope Lucas Pouille, 13th-seeded, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (8). This match was played at the service, while Donaldson has managed ten aces, while Puglia, committing nine double faults.

Ryan Harrison, another American, also crossed the first round, as the veteran spaniard David Ferrer, the Dutch Robin Haase, the German Mischa Zverev and the Argentine Diego Schwartzman.

Strycova creates the first surprise

Toronto — The Czech Barbora Strycova has created the first surprise of the pane-female of the Rogers Cup by eliminating the 13th-seeded Kristina Mladenovic, 6-2, 6-3. Andreescu, Mississauga, Ontario, will compete in the Hungarian Timea Babos for his match of the first round on Tuesday. Eugenie Bouchard of Westmount, will, for its part, the Croatian Donna Vekic, Tuesday after-noon, while Montreal’s Françoise Abanda had a rendezvous with the Czech, Lucie Safarova, Monday evening. The afternoon session gave rise to another surprise : the American Varvara Lepchenko eliminated the Latvian Jelena Ostapenko.