MELBOURNE, Australia — Canadian Vasek Pospisil struggled with injuries on the way to a 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-4 defeat of Italy’s Paolo Lorenzi on Thursday to reach the third round of the Australian Open for a second consecutive year.
Vancouver’s Pospisil, ranked 60th, duplicated his best Grand Slam showing with the win, which took just over three and a half hours. He had won a five-setter on Tuesday and then played doubles a day later in a full program at the first major of the season.
Pospisil advanced with 22 aces despite getting treatment on court at various times for leg and back issues.
He next faces Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, who defeated Alejandro Gonzalez of Colombia 6-1, 6-3, 6-3.
Pospisil finished almost level on stats, with 66 winners and 64 unforced errors. He broke Lorenzi on four of ten occasions.
Pospisil set the winning example for eighth-seeded Milos Raonic of Thornhill, Ont., who plays in the second round later against American Donald Young.