VIENNA (AP) Vasek Pospisil saved two set points before beating former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt 7-6 (6), 6-4 in the first round of the Erste Bank Open on Tuesday.
Pospisil trailed the now 53rd-ranked Australian 6-4 in the tiebreaker before reeling off four straight points to take the opening set. An early break in the second proved enough for the seventh-seeded Canadian.
"It's very special for me to beat a former No. 1," said the 23-year-old Pospisil, who won just two games in his only previous match against Hewitt at Newport last year. "I've come a long way since. I started working with another coach and I've put in a lot of hard work."
Pospisil next plays Robin Haase. The Dutchman, who won both of his career titles in Austria, rallied to beat Ilija Bozoljac of Serbia 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.
Also, the son of 1988 Olympic champion Miloslav Mecir stunned Pablo Andujar of Spain 6-4, 6-4 in his first ever main draw match. The 25-year-old Miloslav Mecir Jr. of Slovakia, who is ranked 240th and came through three qualifying rounds, served nine aces and never faced a break point.