The worst-case scenario has unfolded for the Canadian Davis Cup team on the eve of their World Group quarter-final tie in Belgium.
Sportsnet has learned that Vasek Pospisil will be unable to play for his country because of a right wrist injury suffered during his terrific Wimbledon fortnight. Pospisil had what was being called a “precautionary MRI” on Wednesday evening in London after he lost to Andy Murray in the quarter-finals at the All England Club.
Imaging results were worrisome and Pospisil had more tests Thursday in England, sources said, which is when the diagnosis and decision was made.
Canada was relying on Pospisil to be its No. 1 player because Milos Raonic withdrew from the event only two days prior. Raonic, the eighth-ranked player in the World, is dealing from excess fluid in his right foot in the aftermath of surgery in May. He hopes to be back on tour by Rogers Cup in August and on a conference call on Thursday expressed confidence in Pospisil facing the Belgians, saying “Vasek is playing the best tennis of his career,” and that he was “proud of him.”
Pospisil has been Mr. Davis Cup for Canada — playing singles and emerging as Daniel Nestor’s doubles partner for the Saturday portion of the weekend event. In 2011, he won all three matches in Tel Aviv to advance Canada to World Group for the fourth time ever. Just this past March, he and Nestor were victorious in doubles and the 25-year-old won the deciding fifth match over Japan to send Canada into the Davis Cup’s final eight.
The loss is a devastating blow for the Canadian team, which likely will now go with Frank Dancevic and Filip Peliwo as its two singles players. Nestor and Dancevic were Canada’s doubles team in Tokyo in January 2014, when Pospisil was out with a back issue — a match they lost to Japan.
Pospisil hopes to return to tour by next month. He said Thursday that he was advised by doctors to take 2-3 weeks off to avoid any further damage to the wrist. The timing of the injury could not be worse, with the Canadian climbing up the rankings some 27 spots to likely 29th in the world next week after his Wimbledon heroics. The June-through-September swing has traditionally been Pospisil’s best part of the season, and he has finals points to defend in Washington — not to mention likely being a seed for the U.S. Open.
Raonic, meanwhile, will not defend his title in Washington, he announced Thursday, and his hopes are of playing in the Rogers Cup in Montreal. He can resume light workouts in the next week and be back on court in the next two to three weeks, he said.
