The end of Pospisil dream
Murray wins in straight sets to oust Canadian
WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND—“What a waste of time!” It seemed an odd comment from Kim Murray, about watching her husband’s quarter-final match on Centre Court.
All right, let’s be fair — which the Red Top tabs would never do — and put the remark in context. Mrs. Murray, Mrs. No. 3 seed, Mrs. 2013 Wimbledon Champion, was in a pique about the second rain delay of the encounter between hubby and Canada’s Vasek Pospisil.
Unedited, what she said: “It’s going to be like this all afternoon. What a waste of time!”
Because those showers were all around the area, officials declined to close the roof over the prime show court after the first burst, which lasted 30 minutes.
That timeout restored Pospisil’s equilibrium — he was trailing 3-1 in the opening set — and gave him a second opportunity to make a better first impression in the biggest tennis match of his life.
He couldn’t tame Murray’s first serve, however, or limit the stroke exchange on prolonged rallies that ran him ragged around the court.
Let’s just admit a painful truth: The Pospisil took a licking.
Not a complete thrashing, not an utter demolition. But still, a straight set quarter-finals loss, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4, to the darling of British tennis.
The 23-year-old native of Vernon, B.C., was game, just nowhere near good enough to halt Murray’s progression to the semifinal, where the Scotsman next has to contend with the serenely imperious Roger Federer.
Give the Canadian qualifier this much: He dusted off at least one Brit and two seeded opponents en route to Wednesday’s contest with the No. 3 seed at SW19.
He advanced further than any other Canadian at the All England Club this time around, becoming only the second male from the colonies do get inside the Final 8 in the open era.
That should provide considerable comfort, when the amiable young man gets around to digesting events of the past fortnight.
Just let’s not have too much indignant caterwauling about Pospisil getting stiffed by a pedantic chair umpire who once warned and then penalized — took away his first serve — over time violations, lollygagging between serves.
Pospisil was clearly squeezing out a few extra seconds of catch-his-breath rest, exhausted after playing 19 single sets and a dozen set of doubles.
Fit as he may be, the poor guy was entirely spent, thighs quivering on all those run-down balls, and dealing with the keen if exquisite pressure of taking on a British luminary, in front of a partisan crowd that included the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (that’s William and Kate when they’re at home), David Beckham and marathon goddess Paula Radcliff, on the most legendary sward of grass in tennis.
If a wee admonishment from the ump was enough to throw of his stride and focus, then Pospisil shouldn’t be breathing the rarified air of quarterfinals.
Yes, the timing of that initial interjection by Herr Ump was lousy, 5-5 in the second set and 30-all. Maybe Pospisil was maybe 10 ticks past the 20-second limit. He turned to the official in consternation.
“A lot of times these umpires, they seem to just want to be seen,” he griped afterward. “I don’t know why they do it at a time like that. I went 30 seconds. How many times do you see the top guys go more than that and they don’t get any violation, especially when it’s important points.
“But then I go out there and I get a time violation. He said, ‘Yeah, it was right on 30 seconds. I was right about to serve the ball. If he could have waited one second longer, I would have served.’’
Further: “It wasn’t like I was still wiping the towel or anything. I was literally about to toss.
“It was ridiculous in my opinion.”
Which doesn’t count for beans, his opinion. Something for the colonialists to rally round, though. And the violator did acknowledge, “I don’t think it affected me mentally very much.”
The core issue was Pospisil, with the better serve, had no return answer for Murray’s service game. He came to the net repeatedly, as is his style, but in Murray found a defender who can deftly reach and volley and drop-shot with the best of them, unlike the opponents Pospisil had set aside in earlier rounds.
In three sets, Pospisil got Murray to a break point chance only once.
There were some brilliant rallies and exciting shots but, when Pospisil was broken in the 11th game of the second — after some energy-sapping points — the outcome loomed as inevitable; he was not charging back from a two-set deficit this time.
Fatigue was obviously a factor, and rhythm interrupted by the second rain delay while the lid was closed. But facts are facts. Pospisil, ranked 56th and unseeded here, was up against a tough nut who has won two Grand Slams. The Canadian had never taken a set off Murray in their three previous encounters.
He has earned the right to relish this moment, to bask in the attention it’s brought him from appreciative fellow Canadians.
“I’ve heard that it’s been on the front pages of papers and stuff back home. That’s great. My brother told me ‘Anything is Pospisil’ is trending on Twitter.”
Pospisil but improbable, if wondrous while it lasted.