It took an improbable run, and nearly more, for Vasek Pospisil to grace the front page of The Globe and Mail. The 23-year-old tennis hope for Canada teamed up with modern legend Daniel Nestor and simmering star Milos Raonic to nearly earn their country a berth in the Davis Cup final—an inconceivable opportunity not long ago, given Canada’s tennis power relative to other nations. The Canadians eventually lost to the Serbians, led by the powerful Novak Djokovic, 3-2.

The workhorse Pospisil played three of those matches, losing two, barely scraping out a third—the doubles match—with Nestor. Against Janko Tipsarevic in the deciding match, Pospisil fought a third-set tiebreak as far as he could fight it. Then, he lost, his ankle popped, and Canada’s adventure was over.

The loss on Serbian soil might seem like a funny place to be optimistic, but the Canadians say they’ll have a strong program for years to come. Some day, their country might notice. “Canada doesn’t really love tennis, because we’ve never had a moment to truly love,” wrote the National Post‘s Bruce Arthur. A semi-final loss in a vaunted international tourney, however slim, won’t do it. But it’s close. Pospisil cracked the Globe‘s front page, sprawled in defeat. Some day, some Canadian’s arms may be raised. Until then, oh, hey, hockey’s back.

 

What’s above the fold

The Globe and Mail	The Canadian Transportation Agency will review railway insurance policies.
National Post	Barack Obama is fighting accusations that he was outwitted by Russia.
Toronto Star	Russian spy Jeffrey Delisle prompted military officials to plug security gaps.
Ottawa Citizen	Federal unions are preparing for showdowns with the feds in 2014.
CBC News	Salvage crews are attempting to lift the Costa Concordia upright.
CTV News	No bodies were immediately found when the Costa Concordia was lifted.
National Newswatch	Former Conservative senators won’t likely be welcomed back to caucus.

What you might have missed

THE NATIONAL	Mexico. If Canada doesn’t remove a requirement that Mexican visitors obtain a visa, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto may postpone a trip to Canada. Francisco Suarez, the Mexican ambassador to Canada, told The Canadian Press that his country is “really mad” about the visa requirements, and asked for a “road map” to eventually remove them.
THE GLOBAL	Global warming. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an international group of scientists who predict the warming of the planet, revised slightly downward their latest forecast for a temperature increase. Andrew Weaver, a Green Party MLA in B.C. who helped author the report, says the panel’s recommendations have barely changed.
THE QUIRKY	Kiribati. If sea levels continue to rise, that could spell the end of the archipelago nation of Kiribati, a collection of atolls in the Pacific Ocean. Now, a Tokyo-based company is proposing a $503-billion plan to construct a series of “lily pads” on which to rebuild the tiny nation, complete with cities contained in towers. President Anote Tong is taking the proposal seriously.

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