Nicolas Arseneault of Richmond Hill, Ontario, will be one of the people to pay tribute to Vasek Pospisil as Canadian tennis veterans begin at the last National Bank Open on Sunday night.
The 18-year-old Arseneault warmed up in the evening’s feature match, beating France’s 24-year-old qualifier Valentin Royer in one hour in one hour, in the stands at Sobeys Stadium for 45 minutes.
Royer had more winners (21-14) than Arseneault, but no mandatory mistakes (48-23).
The Canadian had five ACEs, four double failures, a first hit rate of 68 and won five of 11 breakout points.
Royer has 3 A and six double faults, first entering 61, winning only four out of nine points.
Pospisil, 35, from Vernon, BC, will play Argentina’s Facundo Bagnis in his first round men’s singles match.
Pospisil ranked 25th in the world in his career and 4th in doubles. He won the 2014 Wimbledon Championships and the 2015 Indian Wells Masters Men’s Tag Team Championships. He also reached the quarterfinals with a single in the 2015 Wimbledon Championship.
Arsenault’s sister Ariana qualified for the NBO on Saturday and will face four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka on Monday.
– Documents with Sportnet employees
