Pospisil, Nestor show chemistry ahead of Rio
TORONTO — Vasek Pospisil was 10 years old when Daniel Nestor won gold for Canada with partner Sebastien Lareau at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
“Honestly, I’d be lying if I said I remember. I don’t have any memories. I was too young,” the 26-year-old Pospisil said Saturday night.
“I do remember,” the 43-yearold Nestor said.
The elder Canadian recalled he and Lareau did not play their best tennis at the U.S. Open that year in the lead-up to winning gold in Australia.
He’ll hope for a similar scenario in Rio.
Despite falling to the higher-ranked Jamie Murray of Great Britain and Bruno Soares of Brazil in their semifinal at the Rogers Cup Saturday night, Pospisil and Nestor showed this week they share chemistry and a mutual determination. It will be considered an asset when the Canadians — Pospisil, from Vancouver, and Nestor, from Toronto — form a doubles team at the Olympics in Rio do Janeiro next week. They depart Monday with an eye on winning a medal.
“Maybe we can take something from what happened in the previous tournament, the U.S. Open, that time. I felt we left a lot out there, Lareau and I,” Nestor said of the late summer of 2010, “and we really came together when it mattered most, for the Olympics. Today, maybe we feel like we left a little bit out there.
“Maybe we’ll bring our best when it’s most important there.”
Pospisil and Nestor consistently climbed out of holes throughout their semifinal before Murray and Soares ultimately prevailed in the match tiebreak, winning 6-4, 6-7 (5), 10-7.
Nestor and Pospisil partnered at the London Games in 2012 and have teamed for Davis Cup play, but they have somewhat limited experience playing alongside one another.