Canadian qualifier Vasek Pospisil didn't go down without a fight at the U.S. Open.
The Vernon, B.C., native fell to No. 25 seed Feliciano Lopez 5-7, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-7 (5) Friday in a second-round match that lasted three hours 22 minutes.
The 143rd-ranked Pospisil — playing in only his second Grand Slam singles match — saved three match points in the fourth set, eventually taking the tight contest into a tiebreaker.
The left-handed Lopez came through for the victory on his fourth winning chance, a drop-volley winner at the net.
Pospisil said he is gaining valuable experience with every match he plays at the elite level.
"Lopez was only the third guy from the top-50 whom I've faced," said the 21-year-old. "This was all good experience."
"I served a lot better today, I was putting pressure on him. I thought I had chances to win. It was a couple of points here and there that made the difference."
It was a rough day for Canadians at the Open as Toronto's Daniel Nestor and Belarussian partner Max Mirnyi were beaten by Britons Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins 6-3, 7-5 in men's doubles.
Nestor, winner of two Wimbledon titles, has had only one great year in New York — 2004, when he and Mark Knowles of the Bahamas won the title.
Since then Nestor, who turns 39 on Sunday, has never gone past the quarter-finals in doubles. He and former partner Nenad Zimonjic lost in the third round a year ago.
"I've wondered a bit about why I've never done so well at the Open," said Nestor. "I like hard courts and play well on them. I don't know what it is here."
It was his second straight Grand Slam disappointment. Nestor lost at Wimbledon in the second round after winning the French Open a month earlier.
"There's no mystery, they played better than we did, they were hitting their shots," said Nestor. "We didn't take the chances that we had. We've not been playing that well recently. We just didn't get it done today."
Pospisil, meanwhile, got off to a fast start on an outside court at the National Tennis Centre, playing level with the experienced Lopez and breaking the Spaniard in the 12th game to take the set after 46 minutes.
But the European began to turn the tide in the second set as he slowly worked his way back into the contest. A break in the seventh game allowed Lopez to move on and level at a set apiece.
In the third, Lopez went up a break in the sixth game, lost it in the ninth, but won the tiebreaker.
"I think the turning point was probably the third set, when I was serving for the third set," said Pospisil. "I had a chance to go up two sets to one and I think that would've been really good for me, obviously.
"It was kind of an important moment in the match and I think I kind of let it slip a little bit there."
Pospisil almost matched the big-serving Lopez for aces with 19 winners while Lopez managed 21. He also saved eight break points in his losing effort.
It was Pospisil's second career Grand Slam after losing in the first round of qualifying at this year's Wimbledon.
"These guys they don't give you anything for free, you have to go out there and earn it," said Pospisil. "Obviously, to play here at the U.S. Open, just my second Grand Slam, it's a great experience. I haven't really played too many events like this, so it's just going to help me.
"I think it's good for my confidence and I'm looking forward to my next Slam."
He was the last remaining Canadian singles player in the tournament.