Music: {allcanada} POSPISIL REACHES ROGERS CUP SEMIS AFTER DAVYDENKO RETIRES

Friday, August 9, 2013

{allcanada} POSPISIL REACHES ROGERS CUP SEMIS AFTER DAVYDENKO RETIRES

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MONTREAL -- Canada's Vasek Pospisil advanced to the semifinals at the Rogers Cup on Friday when Nikolay Davydenko retired with an illness.

Pospisil had a 3-0 lead when his opponent informed the chair umpire he could not continue. Pospisil will next play the winner of the afternoon quarter-final between Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., and Latvia's Ernests Gulbis.

"I'm just excited and I want to use the confidence I have now and keep playing well," said Pospisil.

After the match, Davydenko said he has bronchitis. The veteran Russian player has been ranked as high as No. 3 in the world but currently holds the No. 47 position.

Pospisil, a 23-year-old native of Vernon, B.C., has posted some impressive victories this week. The wild-card entry upset American John Isner in the opening round and then topped Czech veteran Radek Stepanek.

The 71st-ranked Pospisil followed that up with a stunner on Thursday when he knocked off fifth-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic. It was the Canadian's first-ever victory over a top-10 player.

He was coming off a victory in a Challenger series tournament in Vancouver. Pospisil will welcome the extra rest after the short 20-minute match.

"It came at a perfect time to have a bit of rest," said Pospisil. "Even those three games (against Davydenko) I was trying to catch my breath.

"I had sore legs and was a little tired, but I was hitting the ball well. I'll try to rest up for (Saturday)."

The last Canadian to reach the semifinals was Mike Belkin in 1969. The last Canadian to win the tournament, then called the Canadian Open, was Robert Bedard in 1958.

The final is scheduled for Sunday at the US$3.49-million hardcourt event.