Canada’s Vasek Pospisil makes first-round exit at Citi Open

WASHINGTON — Vasek Pospisil’s run at the 2016 Citi Open didn’t last long.

Pospisil, the 2014 tournament finalist, was one of three Canadians to suffer first-round defeat on Monday on the hard court in Washington, falling to Japan’s Yuichi Sugita in three sets.

Sugita trailed early but bounced back and took the match 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (4).

Pospisil made it all the way to the championship match in 2014 only to lose to fellow Canadian Milos Raonic. Raonic, of Thornhill, Ont., isn’t in this year’s event.

The 26-year-old Pospisil, of Vancouver, wasn’t the only Canadian to be sent home on Monday.

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Aleksandra Wozniak of Blainville, Que., lost her first-round match against American Jessica Pegula in 61 minutes. The 28-year-old Wozniak had six double faults en route to a 6-2, 6-2 defeat.

Montreal’s Francoise Abanda, a 19-year-old wild card, was dropped in straight sets 7-6 (3), 6-4 by Usue Maitane Arconada of the United States.

Rain halted play early in the day and delayed first-round matches for Canadians Eugenie Bouchard and Denis Shapovalov until Tuesday. Bouchard, from Westmount, Que., plays Italian Camila Giorgi.

Shapovalov will be making his debut on the seniors tour. The 17-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., is in the tournament on a wild card after winning the junior boys Wimbledon title last week. He faces Slovakia’s Lukas Lacko.

The Canadian Press