For the first time in a Grand Slam tournament, Vasek Pospisil wins a five-set thriller

MELBOURNE, Australia – There are two things Canadian Vasek Pospisil has had issues with so far in his career: five-set matches, and sticky, humid conditions.

The 24-year-old Canadian stared down both of his tennis demons down at once Tuesday night at the Australian Open, coming back from two sets to one down to win his first five-setter ever in a Grand Slam tournament.

Facing American Sam Querrey, a player who has similar strengths but with an arguably superior backhand and inarguably inferior movement, Pospisil hit a wall after the first two sets. Yet he prevailed, 6-3, 6-7(5) 2-6 6-4, 6-4 – breaking Querrey in both the fourth and fifth sets as the American served to stay in them.

An original court assignment on a small field court turned into another Canadian date on Hisense Arena, the second-largest arena at the Australian Open. Some 10 hours earlier, Pospisil's Davis Cup teammate Milos Raonic took the same court – the second biggest court after the main Rod Laver Arena – for his own first-round match.

There were still plenty of Canadian supporters remaining – especially of the female variety – and one fan who had the oversized Pospisil head that is ubiquitous at Canadian home Davis Cup ties.

For his support, that fan earned an Australian Open towel, delivered personally by Pospisil after the match.

It was the first five-set victory of Pospisil's career that didn't come in Davis Cup. And even factoring that in, it was only his second, to add to that epic victory over Dudi Sela in Israel in 2011. That was part of the weekend Pospisil single-handedly carried Canada to victory, and a promotion into the World Group.

He has had some heartbreaks, to say the least. Here is his five-set record (from Tennis Abstract):

Late Tuesday night (Wednesday morning?) when Pospisil came into press, he particularly remembered that match at the French Open, where he fought back from two sets down to push it into a fifth set – and even into tennis's version of extra innings – befoe losing.

Pospisil did stretch out his glutes at times during changeovers to try to make sure his back stayed in good shape. "The (five-setter) that was the most difficult was the U.S. Open (in 2013 against Dutra Silva). I had pretty much started cramping everywhere after two sets," he said. "I came back the next day and could have won it. But after the third set I was sweating buckets there."

This victory might not have nearly the same emotion as that Davis Cup victory. And it wasn't even the most dramatic late-night five-setter of the night; a few minutes after Pospisil shook hands with Querrey over at Hisense Arena, the mercurial Gaël Monfils came back from a two-sets-to-none deficit for only the second time in his career (both at the Australian Open), to get the better of young countryman Lucas Pouille on Rod Laver Arena.

But it was monumental just the same. Now, assuming Pospisil can recover well, his draw is fairly appetizing. He meets the Italian Paolo Lorenzi in the second round, a player beneath his skill level but who will fight until the very end.  Lorenzi upset No. 21 seed Alexandr Dolgopolov, who was hampered by a right knee injury, in the first round.

Another unseeded player would loom in the third round, if he can get there.