With Milos Raonic’s defeat on Friday, Daniel Nestor is, once again, as he has been for the better part of the last 25 years, the last Canadian standing at a major even. Only this time, he’s not alone. Nestor and Canadian partner Vasek Pospisil were victorious in the quarterfinals of the doubles draw at the Rogers Cup on Friday night. Following the victory, the pair spoke to the media about the upcoming Olympics, how it feels to be the last Canadians in the Rogers Cup, and their excitement to get to play on centre court.

Q. Congrats on the win today. Your thoughts on the win and riding the momentum to the Olympics.

DANIEL NESTOR: Any win is great, and we fought hard today. We had a lot of close games there. Maybe we squandered a few opportunities. But it was important to win in the end, because I thought we were the better team. We created more chances, and so it's always nice to win those kind of matches. It would have been a tough one to lose. We get another opportunity tomorrow.

Q. Tomorrow you guys get to play on centre court hopefully in front of a big crowd.  How exciting will that be?  Is that an advantage against Murray and Soares?

VASEK POSPISIL: Yeah, I think we are excited to play on centre court, obviously. We like playing at home in front of big crowds. Hopefully a lot of people will come out and support us.  We will try to use the energy of the crowd as much as we can to our advantage. But we like playing in Canada. We have played well here and we are playing well right now. We will take that into the match tomorrow.

Pospisil (left) and Nestor during their post-quarterfinal press conference. Photo: Pete Borkowski/VAVEL USA
Pospisil (left) and Nestor during their post-quarterfinal press conference. Photo: Pete Borkowski/VAVEL USA

Q. When you play Davis Cup together, you have the week to practice, but what does the match stuff do, the match experience do, match timing do leading into RioWhat are the biggest differences that could pay off in the next couple of weeks by getting these matches under your belt? This is for both of you.

DANIEL NESTOR: I mean, I think there is no surprises. I mean, we had a couple of instances in the first match where we both let a ball kind of get in between us. I mean, I feel comfortable with Vasek.  I'm pretty sure he feels comfortable playing together. We're gelling and playing well together. I just think it's all execution nowadays in any doubles match. It creates more or executes more in the bigger-moment wins. If we serve and return well, we have a good chance.

VASEK POSPISIL: I think obviously we know each other pretty well, so it's easy to start and come back and play together when we haven't well for a long time. I don't think that's necessarily the thing that will give us an advantage by playing more. I think the good thing about playing together this week, the fact we have won a few matches, because, you know, give us a little bit of confidence and momentum that we have won back-toback matches together, I think that's something we can kind of ride going into Rio, because usually when I when we play we just play one event, one match sometimes.

Sure, you win it, but you don't necessarily get into that habit of winning match after match.  The fact that we have back-to-back wins already is really good going into Rio, I think. And then the little things, those are just adjustments that we make in a few days because we have played together so many times, like who takes the ball in the middle, little habits that we develop playing with other partners that we need to kind of touch up on when we play together. But I think just playing as many matches together as we can is always better than not going into an event.

Q. You guys are the last Canadians standing here. Just wondering what's that like and if you're feeling a little pressure.

DANIEL NESTOR: Well, I mean, it's always nice considering how well Canada is doing right now in men's singles, doubles, women's singles, doubles. So, yeah, it's a nice feeling. Obviously it's sad to see Milos lose tonight.  He's the main attraction this week.  It's tough, you know. Monfils playing well, he won Washington last week. I think that's sad for the fans, but hopefully we're a good backup.  And Vasek and I always play well together.  I think we're eager to play on a big court tomorrow and hopefully we can make Canada proud.

VASEK POSPISIL: Definitely not feeling pressure, to answer the second part of the question. I think it's more -- we have been playing on the tour for a few years now, and home, we're used to playing at home. And now once you get used to it, you take the energy and take it more as a positive thing. You know, other results, separate, just when you're on the court and you have the crowd support, at that point you're just there and you're trying to win that match. So when the crowd is there and behind you, then it's always a good thing and that's what we're going to try to take advantage of.

DANIEL NESTOR: Plus now we get to play on centre and have a bigger crowd. Milos has been stealing our thunder the last couple of nights. Not enough people on Grandstand. It will be nice to have a bigger crowd and better support.

Q. Jack said he sort of wants to concentrate on singles going forward. Wondering where you are in terms of finding that balance between playing singles and doubles.

VASEK POSPISIL: Honestly, it's pretty much the same it's been the last three years, even with Jack [Sock] when we started -- last two years. When we started, the focus was always just singles. But then when, you know, let's say we lost the singles and we're still in doubles we were trying to win because we like to win and it's a good feeling even in doubles.

It's the same right now. I want to do well in doubles, also, in the big events, but of course singles is a priority. If I'm playing a Grand Slam, and, you know, singles will always be the priority, but then if I happen to lose early and I'm still in doubles and didn't interfere with my singles schedule, then of course I'd like to do well in doubles, as well. Singles is still, you know, 100% the No. 1 priority for me. Definitely will be for as long as I'm healthy in the next four, five years, which I am right now. But definitely singles is definitely No. 1.

Pospisil answers a question as Nestor looks on on Friday night. Photo: Pete Borkowski/VAVEL USA
Pospisil answers a question as Nestor looks on on Friday night. Photo: Pete Borkowski/VAVEL USA

Q. I know you don't know your schedule yet, but heading to the Olympics, are there any other events you'd like to watch while you're at the Olympics like as spectators or fans if you had time?

VASEK POSPISIL: I mean, I would love to see Usain Bolt. That would be amazing. I don't know how hard it is to get to an event like that, probably pretty difficult. I think everybody would want to see that live. If I'd have to say one event I'd really want to see live, it would be the 100-meter final race. But honestly, there are a lot of other sports that are very interesting, it would be really cool to see. I would like to see a few others this year. I didn't get a chance to do that in London.  Maybe this time I will. If I had to choose one, it would be Bolt. I don't know about you, Daniel.

DANIEL NESTOR: It's a good choice.

VASEK POSPISIL: Yeah, thank you.

Q. Daniel has played with a million guys. You seem most comfortable, singles, doubles, mixed, whatever, when you're partnered up with him. What is it about the chemistry, the comfort level that allows you guys to be so relaxed all these years later?

VASEK POSPISIL: He's really easy to play with. I mean, you never feel -- you never feel stressed on the court. You never feel like he's putting pressure on you. He's a great, unbelievable partner, taking care of everything he needs to do. He doesn't put pressure on you to execute. And also we get along off the court. With all those, that combination, it's just really easy to play with Daniel.

I don't really know what else to say about that. It's just kind of one of those things. Sometimes it either works or it doesn't. With Daniel, it's really easy to play with him. I think it's because of his personality on the court. Off the court he's a little different.  But he's really easy to play with.  Yeah, he's a great partner.

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About the author
Pete Borkowski
Tennis has always been my obsession. What better way to channel that obsession than writing about it? After 18 months of blogging with Sportsblog.com as the writer of A Fan Obsesseds blog, all the while completing my Bachelors in history and French, I joined VAVEL so that I can better share my love and knowledge of tennis with the world.