•            SPOTLIGHT ON TORONTO: The Aviva Centre at York University is the site of the sixth ATP Masters 1000 level tournament of the season, the Rogers Cup. This year’s field features eight of the Top 12 players in the Emirates ATP Rankings, led by World No. 1 and three-time champion Novak Djokovic, who is playing the tournament for the 10th consecutive year. Other Top 8 seeds include: No. 2 Stan Wawrinka, No. 3 Kei Nishikori, No. 4 Milos Raonic, No. 5 Tomas Berdych, No. 6 Dominic Thiem, No. 7 David Goffin and No. 8 Marin Cilic.

•            DAY 1 PREVIEW: There are 13 singles and two doubles matches on Monday’s order of play. There are four seeds on the action-packed opening day line-up: No. 9 and top American John Isner, #NextGen Aussie No. 11 Nick Kyrgios, No. 12 Bernard Tomic and No. 16 Jack Sock. There are also four Canadians on the schedule, including Wimbledon junior champion Denis Shapovalov, who is the youngest player in the draw at 17. Shapovalov and Kyrgios headline the Centre Court evening session. In the final match, wild card Frank Dancevic squares off with American Sam Querrey, who defeated Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon en route to the quarter-finals. Other Canadian wild cards in action on Court 1 are Steven Diez against Kyle Edmund of Great Britain and Peter Polansky against American qualifier Tim Smyczek.
 
•            In the opening match on Centre Court, Croats Borna Coric and Ivan Dodig meet for the first time. In the next match on is Yuichi Sugita of Japan against 2014 Rogers Cup semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov. Closing out the day session is Isner against Dudi Sela of Israel. Isner has won the three previous hard court meetings.
 
•            On Grandstand, there are five matches, leading off with Serbian No. 2 Viktor Troicki against top South African Kevin Anderson. This is their third meeting (tied 1-1). Tomic is the fourth match on against Colombian qualifier Alejandro Gonzalez and Sock follows against countryman Denis Kudla. The two doubles matches feature three Top 10 singles players: No. 5 Stan Wawrinka (w/Dimitrov), No. 8 Tomas Berdych (w/Stepanek) and No. 9 Dominic Thiem (w/Pouille).
 
•            NOVAK TOP SEED AGAIN: World No. 1 and three-time Rogers Cup champion Novak Djokovic is the top seed for the sixth straight year in Canada. Djokovic has a 30-6 career record in Canada, winning in Montreal twice (2007, ’11) and Toronto in 2012.  He also was runner-up in Montreal last year (l. to Murray). He has a 19-3 match record in Montreal and 11-3 in Toronto. In the last five years Djokovic has won 18 of 21 Rogers Cup matches, with his losses in the 2013 SF (l. to Nadal in a third-set TB), 2014 3R (l. to eventual champ Tsonga) and final last year (l. to Murray). Overall, Djokovic has advanced to the quarter-finals or better eight of nine years in Canada.  Djokovic has held No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings for the past 108 weeks since July 7, 2014 and this will be the 209th week (as of July 25) he’s ranked No. 1 in his career, the fifth-most in the history of the Emirates ATP Rankings.
 
•            MILOS ON THE MOVE: Top Canadian and No. 4 seed Milos Raonic is playing in his first tournament since becoming the first Canadian man to reach a Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon on July 10. Raonic enters with a 37-9 match record on the season (17-3 on hard) and this is his seventh Rogers Cup main draw appearance   (8-6). He reached the final in 2013 (l. to Nadal) and the quarter-finals in 2012 (l. to Isner) and 2014 (l. to Lopez). Last year he lost in his opening match after 1R bye to Karlovic in two tie-breaks. In the opening week of the season, Raonic captured his eighth career ATP World Tour title in Brisbane (d. Federer) and followed with a SF at the Australian Open (l. to Murray in five sets). In addition to Wimbledon, he also was runner-up at ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Djokovic) and Queen’s Club.
 
•            NEW FACE IN TOP 10: No. 6 seed Dominic Thiem, who at 22 is the youngest player in the Top 10 Emirates ATP Rankings at No. 9, is the newest addition to the elite group. Thiem broke into the Top 10 on June 6 at No. 7 (from 15) after his semi-final at Roland Garros. He enters the Rogers Cup with four ATP World Tour titles and a 48-14 match record on the season (16-5 on hard). He leads the ATP World Tour in overall match wins and clay match wins (25) and is second in titles. He is the only player to win titles on three different surfaces (clay, grass, hard). He is looking for his first Rogers Cup win, having lost in the 1R the past two years. Here are this year’s ATP World Tour title leaders:
 
•            2016 MATCH-WIN LEADERS: Dominic Thiem leads the ATP World Tour with 48 match wins followed by Djokovic with 46 and Andy Murray with 40. Raonic (37) and Nishikori (36) round out the Top 5 match wins leaders on the ATP World Tour.
 
•            DOUBLES WATCH:  Veteran doubles specialist Daniel Nestor is making his record 28th straight tournament appearance. The 43-year-old Canadian will be teaming up with countryman Vasek Pospisil. They have an 8-6 career record together (5-3 in Davis Cup) and this is their first tournament pairing since 2013 Basel. They last teamed up in last year’s 1R Davis Cup tie vs. Japan (won in five sets). Nestor has a 43-25 tournament record, winning both titles in Toronto, in 2000 (w/Lareau) and ’08 (w/Zimonjic). He was runner-up in 1996 and 2002 (w/Knowles) and last year (w/Roger-Vasselin). Last month Nestor improved his title streak to 23 consecutive years by capturing the title in Nottingham (w/Inglot). On Sunday in Washington, Nestor earned his 90th career ATP World Tour level title (w/Roger-Vasselin). He is No. 3 on the Open Era titles list behind Mike Bryan (114) and Bob Bryan (112). The top seeds and five-time champions (2002, ’06, ’10, ’12, ‘15) Bob and Mike Bryan, who are making their 16th straight Rogers Cup appearance. Four of their titles have come in Toronto. They also were finalists in 2008 and 2011.
 
DAY ONE FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS – In Order of Play by Court
 
Centre Court
 
Borna Coric (CRO) vs Ivan Dodig (CRO)                                 First Meeting
 
Coric 2016 FastFacts:
F(2): Chennai (l Wawrinka); Marrakech (l Delbonis); QF: Estoril (l Kyrgios)
YTD W-L: 18-19 (10-10 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: November 14, 1996
Emirates ATP Ranking: 53
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 0-1 (2015 1st Round)
 
• Tournament Note: The 19-year-old Croat is making his second straight Rogers Cup appearance. Last year lost in 1R (l. to Tsonga 64 64)
• Began season by reaching 1st ATP World Tour final at Chennai (d. Bautista Agut 76 in 3rd, l. to No. 4 Wawrinka)
• Became 1st teen to play in an ATP final since countryman Cilic at 2008 New Haven (d. Fish)
• Beat Mathieu and Vesely to reach 2nd ATP World Tour final at Marrakech (l. to Delbonis)
• Advanced to Roland Garros 3R for 2nd straight year (d. Fritz and Tomic, l. to Bautista Agut)
• Reached ATP Masters 1000 3R for 1st time at Indian Wells (d. Pouille and Bellucci, l. to No. 7 Berdych)
• After falling to Goffin in 5 sets, clinched Croatia’s 3-2 win over Belgium in Davis Cup 1R (d. Coppejans), then after falling to Isner in straight sets, beat Sock in 4 sets to clinch Croatia’s 3-2 win over United States in Davis Cup QF
 
CROATS IN TOP 100: Coric is one of four Croats, all competing here, in the Top 100 Emirates ATP Rankings:
 
No. 12 Marin Cilic
No. 27 Ivo Karlovic
No. 53 Borna Coric
No. 79 Ivan Dodig
 
Dodig 2016 FastFacts:
QF: Munich (l Thiem)
YTD W-L: 7-12 (2-6 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 1
Date of Birth: January 2, 1985
Emirates ATP Ranking: 79
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 5-3 (2011, 2014 3rd Round)
 
• Tournament Note: The 31-year-old Croat reached the 3R two years ago in his last appearance (d. No. 14 Isner, Seppi, l. to No. 7 Ferrer). In 2011, also advanced to 3R (d. Chardy, No. 2 Nadal, l. to Tipsarevic)
• Best ATP World Tour singles result is QF at Munich in May (d. Gulbis and Bellucci, l. to Thiem)
• Improved to 6-5 in 5-set tour-level matches with win over Youzhny in Roland Garros 1R (l. to Verdasco in 2R)
• Beat Gimeno-Traver, Giraldo and Muñoz de la Nava en route to Canberra, AUS Challenger final (l. to Lorenzi)
• In doubles w/Melo, advanced to Nottingham final (l. to Inglot/Nestor) and Roland Garros SF (l. to Lopez/Lopez)
• Saved 1 MP vs. Herbert/Mladenovic to reach 1st mixed doubles final at Roland Garros w/Mirza (l. to Paes/Hingis)
• Helped Croatia to 3-2 win over Belgium in Davis Cup 1R, teaming w/Skugor to beat Bemelmans/Goffin
• Retired with back injury in ATP Masters 1000 Miami 1R and W/D from London/Queen’s Club due to illness
 
[Alt.] Yuichi Sugita (JPN) vs Grigor Dimitrov (BUL)                            First Meeting
 
Sugita 2016 FastFacts:
YTD W-L: 3-4 (1-2 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: September 18, 1988
Emirates ATP Ranking: 107
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): Main Draw Debut
 
• Tournament Note: One of two Japanese players (Nishikori) in main draw and made his way into field before qualifying began on Saturday when Albert Ramos-Vinolas withdrew. Competing in first career ATP Masters 1000 main draw
• Last week in Washington reached 2R (d. Pospisil in 3rd set TB, l. to Coric)
• Qualified for 1st time at Australian Open (l. to Monfils in 1R) and Halle (d. Fritz, l. to Seppi in 2R)
• Achieved career-high No. 97 in Emirates ATP Rankings on March 21
• Fell in qualifying at Sofia, ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells, ATP Masters 1000 Miami, Stuttgart and Wimbledon
• Captured 6th career Challenger title on home soil at Kyoto, JPN (d. Zhang)
• Advanced to Challenger QFs at Bangkok, THA (l. to Kravchuk) and Busan, KOR (l. to Evans)
 
Dimitrov 2016 FastFacts:
F(2): Sydney (l Troicki); Istanbul (l Schwartzman); SF: Delray Beach (l Ram); QF(2): Brisbane (l Federer); Acapulco (l Thiem)
YTD W-L: 20-16 (14-8 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 4
Date of Birth: May 16, 1991
Emirates ATP Ranking: 40
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 4-3 (2014 Semi-finalist)
 
• Tournament Note: The 25-year-old Bulgarian is making his fourth straight Rogers Cup appearance and best result came two years ago when he came in ranked No. 8 (1R bye, d. Young, Robredo, Anderson, l. to eventual champ Tsonga). Last year (d. Dolgopolov, l. to Sock in 2R)
• Snapped 7-match losing streak vs. Top 10 opponents by beating No. 2 Murray in Miami 3R (l. to Monfils in 4R)
• Held 1 MP in Sydney final before falling to Troicki 76 in 3rd set. Also in Istanbul final, led by a set and 5-2 yet lost to Schwartzman 67(5) 76(4) 60
• Advanced to SF at Delray Beach (l. to Ram) and QFs at Brisbane (l. to No. 3 Federer) and Acapulco (l. to Thiem)
• Reached 3R at Australian Open (l. to No. 3 Federer) and Wimbledon (d. Simon, l. to Johnson)
• Suffered 6-match losing streak from May 1 to June 27
 
[9] John Isner (USA) vs Dudi Sela (ISR)                                           Isner Leads 3-0
11 Winston-Salem (U.S.A.)          Hard     R32        John Isner            7-6(3)  6-2
14 Delray Beach (U.S.A.)              Hard     R16        John Isner             3-6      6-1              7-6(5)
14 Atlanta (U.S.A.)          Hard     F            John Isner             6-3      6-4
 
Isner 2016 FastFacts:
SF: Houston (l Sock); QF(2): Auckland (l Bautista Agut); Washington (l Johnson)
YTD W-L: 19-13 (9-6 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 10
Date of Birth: April 26, 1985
Emirates ATP Ranking: 16
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 8-6 (2012 Semi-finalist)
 
• Tournament Note: The 31-year-old American is making his seventh appearance in eight years (except 2010) and best result came in 2012 with SF (1R bye, d. Andujar, Kohlschreiber, Raonic, l. to Gasquet). Last year reached quarter-finals (l. to Chardy in three TBs, held 7 match pts)
• Last week, reached quarter-finals in Washington (l. to Johnson in two TBs). Has 23-20 TB record in ‘16
• Reached 4R at Australian Open (l. to No. 8 Ferrer) and Roland Garros (d. Gabashvili in 5 sets, l. to No. 2 Murray)
• Defeated Groth and Tomic to lead USA to 3-1 win over Australia in Davis Cup 1R; then beat Coric and lost to Cilic as U.S. fell 3-2 to Croatia in Davis Cup QF
• Hit 49 aces and 0 DFs in 4-set win over Tomic, including fastest serve ever in a tour-level match (157 mph)
• Earned 300th win of career over Edmund in Roland Garros 2R on May 25
• Advanced to Auckland QF (d. Querrey, l. to Bautista Agut) and Houston SF (d. Chung, l. to Sock)
• Lost 6 matches 76 in 3rd (5 matches holding MP): Buenos Aires 2R vs. Lajovic (held 1 MP), Rio de Janeiro 1R vs. Pella (held 3 MPs), Indian Wells 4R vs. No. 6 Nishikori (held 1 MP), Miami 2R vs. Smyczek, Geneva 2R vs. Rosol and London/Queen’s Club 2R vs. Muller (held 10 MPs). Also held 1 MP in Wimbledon 3R before falling to Tsonga 19-17 in 5th after 4 hrs., 24 mins.
• Withdrew from ATP Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome due to knee injury
 
AMERICANS IN TOP 100: Isner is one a tournament-high 12 Americans in the main draw and the No. 1 American of six in the Top 100 Emirates ATP Rankings:
 
No. 16 John Isner
No. 21 Steve Johnson
No. 26 Jack Sock
No. 29 Sam Querrey
No. 57 Donald Young
No. 63 Taylor Fritz
             
Sela FastFacts
QF(2): Nottingham (l Seppi); Newport (l Baghdatis)
YTD W-L: 9-14 (2-5 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: April 4, 1985
Emirates ATP Ranking: 60
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 0-1 (2009 1st Round)
 
• Tournament Note: The 31-year-old Israeli is appearing in the main draw for the first time since 2009 (l. to Falla in three sets in1R). Last year lost in 1R qualifying (l. to Dolgopolov in third set TB)
• Reached 1st ATP World Tour QF since 2015 Atlanta at Nottingham (l. to Seppi). Also QF in Newport (l. to Bahgdatis)
• Advanced to Australian Open 3R for 3rd time in career (d. Becker and Verdasco, l. to Kuznetsov)
• Defeated Wu for 20th Challenger title at Shenzhen, CHN (2nd all-time to Lu’s 24)
• Fell in Challenger finals at Happy Valley, AUS (l. to Fritz) and Karshi, UZB (l. to Tepavac 76 in 3rd)
• Captured 1st ATP doubles title in 1st final and with 1st-time partner Cipolla at Istanbul (d. Molteni/Schwartzman)
• Upset by No. 612 Nagy in 5 sets to open Davis Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group I tie (HUN d. ISR 3-2)
 
[WC] Denis Shapovalov (CAN) vs [11] Nick Kyrgios (AUS)    First Meeting
 
Shapovalov 2016 FastFacts:
YTD W-L: 0-1 (0-1 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: April 15, 1999
Emirates ATP Ranking: 370 (Career-high)
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): Main Draw Debut
 
• Tournament Note: The 17-year-old wild card is youngest player and one of six Canadians in main draw
• Playing in second career ATP World Tour tournament after falling in debut last week in Washington (l. to Lacko in three sets)
• Has climbed over 700 positions in Emirates ATP Rankings since January when he was No. 1,132
• A winner of three Futures titles in the U.S., winning in January and twice in April
• In second career ATP Challenger Tour event in Drummondville in March, reached SF (l. to Evans)
• Currently No. 2 junior in world rankings after winning back-to-back titles at Roehampton and Wimbledon. Also SF at Roland Garros.
 
CANADIANS IN MAIN DRAW: Shapovalov is one of six Canadians in the main draw:
No. 7 Milos Raonic
No. 101 Vasesk Pospisil
No. 192 Steven Diez
No. 234 Frank Dancevic
No. 247 Peter Polansky
No. 370 Denis Shapovalov
 
Kyrgios 2016 FastFacts:
W: Marseille (d Cilic); SF(3): Dubai (l Wawrinka); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami (l Nishikori); Estoril (l Almagro); QF: ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Madrid (l Nishikori)
YTD W-L: 26-10 (14-4 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 1
Date of Birth: April 27, 1995
Emirates ATP Ranking: 19
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 3-2 (2015 3rd Round)
 
• Tournament Note: The 21-year-old Aussie is making his third straight Rogers Cup appearance. Two years ago in debut (d. Giraldo, l. to No. 9 Murray in 2R) and last year advanced to 3R (d. Verdasco, No. 5 Wawrinka-ret., l. to No. 12 Isner)
• In February at Marseille, became 1st member of ATP’s Next Generation to win an ATP World Tour title (d. Cilic). Held in all 47 of his service games, beating No. 10 Gasquet and No. 8 Berdych en route to title
• Advanced to 1st ATP Masters 1000 QF and SF at Miami (d. Raonic, l. to No. 6 Nishikori)
• Beat No. 4 Wawrinka at Madrid (l. to No. 6 Nishikori in QF) and No. 10 Raonic at Rome (l. to No. 5 Nadal in 3R)
• Reached 2nd week at Wimbledon for 3rd straight year (d. Brown in 5 sets of 2R, l. to No. 2 Murray in 4R)
• Also reached 3R at Australian Open (l. to No. 6 Berdych) and Roland Garros (l. to Gasquet)
• Achieved career-high No. 18 in Emirates ATP Rankings on June 20 (No. 1 Aussie)
• Withdrew from Rotterdam (elbow) and retired in Dubai SF vs. No. 4 Wawrinka (back)
 
[WC] Frank Dancevic (CAN) vs Sam Querrey (USA)              Querrey Leads 1-0
09 Indianapolis (U.S.A.) Hard     SF          Sam Querrey     6-4         6-4
Other meeting:
07 Sydney Q (Australia) Hard     —            Frank Dancevic  6-3         7-5
 
Dancevic FastFacts:
2016 Highlights:
YTD W-L: 3-4 (0-0 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: September 26, 1984
Emirates ATP Ranking: 234
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 6-13 (2007 Quarter-finalist)
 
• Tournament Note: The 31-year-old Canadian is making his 14th main draw appearance in 15 years (except 2011) and best result came in 2007 when he reached quarter-finals (d. No. 75 del Potro, Odesnik, No. 35 Verdasco, l. to No. 2 Nadal in three sets). Also 2R in 2006, 2008 and 2013. Last year lost in 1R (l. to Andujar)
• Appeared in 1st ATP main draw of season at Nottingham as Q (d. A. Ward and Kukushkin, l. to Dolgopolov in 3R). Also qualified in Newport (d. Harrison, l. to eventual champion Karlovic in three sets)
• Advanced to Challenger QFs at Drummondville, CAN (l. to Corrie) and Winnetka, USA (l. to Soeda)
• Captured 6th ITF Futures Circuit singles title at Brcko, BIH (d. Mesaros)
• Reached Brcko, BIH Futures doubles final w/Peric (l. to Miedler/Pichler)
• Lost to Monfils and Tsonga during Davis Cup 1st round in Guadeloupe (FRA d. CAN 5-0)
 
Querrey 2016 FastFacts:
W: Delray Beach (d Ram); SF(3): Memphis (l Nishikori); Acapulco (l Thiem); s-Hertogenbosch (l Mahut); QF(3): Houston (l Monaco); Wimbledon (l Raonic); Washington (l Monfils)
YTD W-L: 26-16 (14-7 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 8
Date of Birth: October 7, 1987
Emirates ATP Ranking: 29
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 4-5 (2012 3rd Round)
 
• Tournament Note: The 28-year-old American is making his sixth Rogers Cup appearance and best result came in 2012 when he reached 3R (d. Melzer, No. 17 Nishikori, l. to No. 2 Djokovic). Also 2R in 2010 (l. to Anderson) and last year (l. to Goffin)
• Last week reached QF in Washington (l. to eventual champion Monfils in three sets)
• Earned 1st win over a World No. 1 en route to 1st Grand Slam QF at Wimbledon (l. to No. 7 Raonic), ending Djokovic’s 30-match major win streak and becoming 1st major quarter-finalist from USA since Isner and Roddick at 2011 US Open
• In February, captured 1st ATP World Tour singles title since 2012 and 8th overall at Delray Beach (d. del Potro and Ram)
• Also won 5th career ATP World Tour doubles title and 1st w/Johnson at Geneva (d. Klaasen/Ram)
• Reached SFs at Memphis (l. to No. 7 Nishikori), Acapulco (d. No. 6 Nishikori in 2R, l. to Thiem) and ’s-Hertogenbosch (l. to Mahut). Also played in doubles final at Memphis w/Johnson (l. to Fyrstenberg/S. Gonzalez)
• Defeated French qualifiers Herbert and Pouille to reach ATP Masters 1000 Madrid 3R (l. to No. 5 Nadal)
• Saved 5 MPs to beat Bedene in Auckland 1R & held 2 MPs before losing to Baghdatis in Nottingham 3R
• Retired at 2 sets all in Australian Open 1R vs. Lajovic (cramping) and W/D from Brisbane (right knee)
 
Grandstand
 
Viktor Troicki (SRB) vs Kevin Anderson (RSA)       Tied 1-1
11 Washington (U.S.A.) Hard     R16        Viktor Troicki     6-3         6-3
15 Acapulco (Mexico)    Hard     QF         Kevin Anderson 3-6         6-3         6-3
 
Troicki 2016 FastFacts:
W: Sydney (d Dimitrov); F: Sofia (l Bautista Agut); QF: Rotterdam (l Mahut)
YTD W-L: 20-17 (14-9 on hard)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 3
Date of Birth: February 10, 1986
Emirates ATP Ranking: 35
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 4-5 (2011 3rd Round)
 
• Tournament Note: The 30-year-old Serb is looking to even his career Rogers Cup record (4-5). Best result came in 2011 when he reached 3R (l. to No. 7 Monfils in third set TB). Last year lost in 1R (l. to Youzhny)
• Repeated as Sydney champion by saving 1 MP in 26 61 76(7) win over Dimitrov
• Three days later, saved 2 MPs in 5-set win over Muñoz de la Nava in Aust. Open 1R (l. to Raonic in 3R)
• Also saved 4 MPs in three TB sets win over Cervantes in ATP Masters 1000 Miami 2R (l. to Goffin in 3R)
• Reached Roland Garros 4R for 3rd time (d. Dimitrov, Lajovic and Simon; l. to No. 4 Wawrinka)
• Advanced to Sofia final (l. to Bautista Agut) and Rotterdam QF (l. to Mahut)
• Clinched Serbia’s 3-2 Davis Cup 1R win over Kazakhstan by beating Nedovyesov in straight sets
 
Anderson 2016 FastFacts:
QF(3): Auckland (l Sock); Nice (l Sousa); Nottingham (l Johnson)
YTD W-L: 5-11 (1-4 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 3
Date of Birth: May 18, 1986
Emirates ATP Ranking: 34
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 7-6 (2014 Quarter-finalist)
 
• Tournament Note: The 30-year-old South African is making his seventh straight appearance and best result came two years ago when he reached quarter-finals (d. No. Fognini in 2R, No. 4 Wawrinka in 3R, l. to No. 8 Dimitrov in 3rd set TB). Also 3R in 2010 as a qualifier (l. to No. 1 Nadal) and in 2011 (d. No. 4 Murray in 2R, l. to Wawrinka in three sets). Last year lost in 1R (l. to Rosol in two TBs)
• In May, returned following 10-week injury absence & fell in 1R at ATP Masters 1000 Madrid (l. to Monfils)
• Received 1R byes and reached QFs at Auckland (l. to Sock), Nice (l. to Sousa) and Nottingham (l. to Johnson)
• As World No. 20, qualified at London/Queen’s Club (l. to Tomic in 1R)
• In Wimbledon 1R, suffered 4th loss of career from 2 sets up and held 1 MP vs. Istomin
• Retired from 2 matches and withdrew from 8 tournaments due to left knee and right shoulder injuries
• Also underwent minor ankle surgery on March 15
 
[PR] Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) vs Gilles Muller (LUX)         Tursunov Leads 1-0                 
13 Marseille (France)     Hard     QF         Dmitry Tursunov     7-6(7)            1-6              7-5
Other meetings:
03 Bronx CH (U.S.A.)      Hard     R16        Dmitry Tursunov             6-4         7-5
10 Nottingham CH (Great Britain)            Grass    R32        Dmitry Tursunov              6-3  6-7(5)          6-3
 
Tursunov 2016 FastFacts:
YTD W-L: 1-6 (1-3 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 7
Date of Birth: December 12, 1982
Emirates ATP Ranking: 433
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 4-4 (2006, 2008 3rd Round)
 
• Tournament Note: The 33-year-old Russian is making his first appearance since 2009 (ret. in 1R vs. Andreev). His best results are 3R in 2006 (d. No. 17 Haas, l. to No. 1 Federer) & 2008 (l. to No. 8 Blake)
• Earned 1st singles win since 2014 ’s-Hertogenbosch by beating Groth in Acapulco 1R (l. to Thiem in 2R)
• Only other main draw win of season came in Irving, USA Challenger 1R (d. Young, l. to Bedene in 2R)
• Retired in Australian Open 1R vs. No. 4 Wawrinka with left foot injury, which sidelined him for much of 2015. Withdrew from Estoril due to hip injury
 
Muller 2016 FastFacts:
F(2): s-Hertogenbosch (l Mahut); Newport (l Karlovic); SF(3): Sydney (l Dimitrov); Sofia (l Bautista Agut); Nottingham (l Cuevas); QF: London / Queen’s Club (l Tomic)
YTD W-L: 24-16 (11-9 on hard)
YTD Titles:  0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: May 9, 1983
Emirates ATP Ranking: 37
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 2-1 (2015 3rd Round)
 
• Tournament Note: Made debut last year and reached 3R (d. Bester, No. 15 Monfils, l. to No. 3 Murray)
• Reached grass finals at ’s-Hertogenbosch (d. Karlovic, l. to Mahut) and Newport (l. to Karlovic in 3rd set TB after holding 3 MPs). Finished with career-best 13-5 record on grass (most wins on surface this year)
• Saved 10 MPs to beat Isner 36 76(16) 76(7) in London/Queen’s Club 2R (l. to Tomic in QF). Tied Schuettler (2004 Kitzbühel 2R) for most MPs on record saved by winner since Panatta (11) in ‘76 Rome 1R
• Advanced to SFs at Sydney (d. Thiem in 2R, l. to Dimitrov), Sofia (l. to Bautista Agut) and Nottingham (l. to                                                                 Cuevas)
• Rallied from 2 sets down, hit career-high 51 aces and saved 4 MPs vs. Giraldo in Wimbledon 1R (l. to Kuznetsov in 2R)
 
Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) vs [Q] Ryan Harrison (USA)                Series Tied 1-1
13 Roland Garros (France)           Clay       R128     Ryan Harrison           6-3   6-4                 7-6(4)
16 Australian Open (Australia)   Hard     R128     Andrey Kuznetsov    7-5     6-4    6-4
 
Kuznetsov 2016 FastFacts:
QF(4): Doha (l Nadal); Marseille (l Cilic); Barcelona (l Kohlschreiber); Geneva (l Rosol)
YTD W-L: 21-13 (13-6 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: February 22, 1991
Emirates ATP Ranking: 45
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): Main Draw Debut
 
• Tournament Note: The 25-year-old is making his tournament debut & one of three Russians in draw
• Advanced to Australian Open 4R (l. to Monfils) and Wimbledon 3R (d. Cuevas in 5 sets and Muller, l. to No. 6 Nishikori)
• Also reached Indian Wells 3R (d. Chardy, l. to No. 4 Wawrinka) and Miami 4R (d. No. 4 Wawrinka in 2R, l. to Kyrgios)
• Set career-highs this season in wins (21) and ranking (No. 39 on April 25)
• Fell to 0-9 in QFs with losses at Doha (l. to No. 5 Nadal), Marseille (l. to Cilic), Barcelona (l. to Kohlschreiber) and Geneva (l. to Rosol)
• Improved to 6-0 lifetime in Davis Cup, winning opening rubber of Russia’s 5-0 sweep over Sweden (d. Arvidsson)
 
Harrison 2016 FastFacts:
YTD W-L: 5-6 (5-5 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: May 7, 1992
Emirates ATP Ranking: 144
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): Main Draw Debut
 
• Tournament Note: The 24-year-old Shreveport, La. native qualified into his first Rogers Cup main draw with wins over Barry 76 75 and Mischa Zverev 57 63 63
• Last week in Washington, qualified and beat Robert and No. 10 seed Troicki before losing in 3R (l. to Johnson)
• Also qualified and reached 2R at Acapulco (d. Cilic, l. to Marchenko 76 in 3rd) and Indian Wells (d. Lajovic, l. to Cilic)
• Saved 4 MPs to defeat Nedovyesov and qualify for Australian Open (l. to Kuznetsov in 1R)
• Also saved 1 MP to defeat Tiafoe in Memphis 1R (l. to No. 7 Nishikori in 2R)
• Advanced to Tallahassee, USA Challenger SF (d. Rubin, l. to Tiafoe)
• Captured Savannah, USA Challenger doubles title w/Baker (d. Raja/Sharan 10-8 in Match TB)
• At Irving, USA Challenger, saved 10 MPs vs. Rublev in 1R before falling 76 in 3rd on Russian’s 11th MP
 
[Q] Alejandro Gonzalez (COL) vs [12] Bernard Tomic (AUS)   Tomic Leads 1-0
14 Washington (U.S.A.) Hard     R64        Bernard Tomic  6-3         6-2
 
Gonzalez 2016 FastFacts:
YTD W-L: 0-4 (0-1 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: February 7, 1989
Emirates ATP Ranking: 163
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): Main Draw Debut
 
• Tournament Note: The 27-year-old Colombian qualified into main draw with wins over [WC] Sigouin 76 64 and local product Bester 61 76. Last year lost in final round of qualifying to Chung 62 61
• Has compiled an 11-14 match record on ATP Challenger Tour, reaching final at Morelos, Mexico (l. to G. Melzer) in February and QFs in Leon in April
• Looking for first ATP World Tour level match win of season (0-4), losing in 1R in Quito and ATP Masters 1000 Miami as a qualifier. Also lost two Davis Cup matches earlier this
 
Tomic 2016 FastFacts:
F: Acapulco (l Thiem); SF(2): Brisbane (l Raonic); London / Queen’s Club (l Raonic); QF(3): Sydney (l Gabashvili); Quito (l Lorenzi); s-Hertogenbosch (l Mahut)
YTD W-L: 23-17 (13-7 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 3
Date of Birth: October 21, 1992
Emirates ATP Ranking: 22
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 4-5 (2015 3rd Round)
 
• Tournament Note: The 23-year-old Australian is making his sixth consecutive appearance and last year turned in his best result, a 3R showing with wins over Sousa and No. 8 Cilic (l. to Tsonga). In first two years, reached 2R in 2011 (l. to Tsonga) and 2012 (l. to No. 2 Djokovic)
• Reached 5th career final at Acapulco – 1st at an ATP World Tour 500 event (l. to Thiem in 3 sets)
• Achieved career-high of No. 17 in Emirates ATP Rankings on January 11
• Advanced to SFs at Brisbane (d. No. 8 Nishikori, l. to Raonic) and London/Queen’s Club (l. to No. 9 Raonic)
• Reached 4R at Australian Open (l. to No. 2 Murray) and Wimbledon (d. Verdasco in 5 sets of 1R, l. to Pouille 10-8 in 5th)
• Suffered 5-match losing streak from March to May before reaching Roland Garros 2R (d. Baker, l. to Coric)
• Retired in Sydney QF vs. Gabashvili (fatigue), Indian Wells 3R vs. Raonic (right wrist) and Rome 1R vs. Paire (flu)
• Withdrew from ATP Masters 1000 events at Miami and Monte-Carlo due to right wrist injury
 
[16] Jack Sock (USA) vs Denis Kudla (USA)                                        Kudla Leads 2-1
12 San Jose (U.S.A.)        Hard     R32        Denis Kudla        6-4   6-7(6)           6-3
15 Atlanta (U.S.A.)          Hard     R16        Denis Kudla        7-6(6) 6-3
15 Basel (Switzerland)   Hard     R32        Jack Sock            6-4         6-2
Other meetings:
10 U.S.A. F30 (U.S.A.)     Clay       R32        Jack Sock            7-5         6-4
11 U.S.A. F3 (U.S.A.)       Clay       R16        Jack Sock            6-4         6-2
12 Knoxville CH (U.S.A.) Hard     R32        Denis Kudla        6-3         2-6  7-6(5)
 
Sock 2016 FastFacts:
F(2): Auckland (l Bautista Agut); Houston (l Monaco); QF: Washington (l Karlovic)
YTD W-L: 20-13 (10-6 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 1
Date of Birth: September 24, 1992
Emirates ATP Ranking: 26
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 3-2 (2015 3rd Round)
 
• Tournament Note: The 23-year-old American is appearing in main draw for third straight year and last season reached 3R with wins over Mannarino and No. 17 Dimitrov (l. to No. 1 Djokovic). Two years ago, lost in 2R (l. to No. 6 Raonic in third set TB)
• Last week advanced to QF in Washington (l. to Karlovic in two TBs)
• Singles runner-up at Auckland (d. No. 8 Ferrer, ret vs. Bautista Agut) and Houston (d. Isner, l. to Monaco)
• Advanced to Wimbledon 3R for 1st time, losing 8th straight meeting with No. 7 Raonic
• Beat Cilic in 5 sets, rallying from 2 sets for first time but fell to Coric in decider in Davis Cup QF loss to Croatia
• Reached 3R at ATP Masters 1000s in Indian Wells (l. to Thiem), Miami (l. to Raonic) and Madrid (l. to Sousa)
• Won 5-setters over Fritz at Aus. Open (l. to Rosol in 2R) and Haase at Roland Garros (l. to Ramos-Viñolas in 3R)
• Achieved career-high No. 22 in Emirates ATP Rankings on January 18 and comes in No. 26 this week
• ATP Masters 1000 doubles finalist w/Pospisil at Indian Wells (l. to Herbert/Mahut) and Rome (l. to Bryan/Bryan)
• Retired in Auckland final and withdrew from Buenos Aires due to illness
 
Kudla 2016 FastFacts:
YTD W-L: 8-16 (5-8 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: August 17, 1992
Emirates ATP Ranking: 102
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 0-1 (2015 1st Round)
 
• Tournament Note: The 23-year-old American qualified last year in his Rogers Cup debut and lost in 1R (l. to countryman Young)
• Advanced to 2R at Brisbane, Australian Open, Memphis, Indian Wells, Miami, Houston, Madrid and Stuttgart
• Earned 1st clay-court win of career on tour by beating M. Zverev 76 in 3rd at Houston (l. to Isner 76 76)
• Qualified at ATP Masters 1000 Madrid and saved 2 MPs to beat Karlovic in 1R (l. to No. 9 Ferrer in 3 sets)
• Achieved career-high No. 53 in Emirates ATP Rankings on May 23
• Fell out of Top 100 on July 11 (from No. 66 to No. 102) after his 4R points from 2015 Wimbledon came off
• Fell to del Potro 61 64 in Delray Beach 1R – Argentine’s 1st match since 2015 ATP Masters 1000 Miami
• Reached Challenger SFs at Savannah, USA (l. to Fratangelo) and Manchester, GBR (d. Groth, l. to Lu)
 
Court 1
 
[WC] Steven Diez (CAN) vs Kyle Edmund (GBR)                  First Meeting
 
Diez 2016 FastFacts:
YTD W-L: 0-2 (0-0 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: March 17, 1991
Emirates ATP Ranking: 192
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): Main Draw Debut
 
Edmund 2016 FastFacts:
QF(2): Doha (l Berdych); London / Queen’s Club (l Murray)
YTD W-L: 10-11 (3-4 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: January 8, 1995
Emirates ATP Ranking: 84
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): Main Draw Debut
 
[WC] Peter Polansky (CAN) vs [Q] Tim Smyczek (USA)  First ATP Meeting                    
Other meetings:
10 Rimouski CH (Canada)            Hard     R16        Tim Smyczek      6-4         6-2
13 Tiburon CH (U.S.A.)   Hard     SF          Peter Polansky  6-4         7-6(4)
13 Knoxville CH (U.S.A.) Hard     F            Tim Smyczek      6-4         6-2
 
Polansky 2016 FastFacts:
YTD W-L: 0-1 (0-1 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: June 15, 1988
Emirates ATP Ranking: 247
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 3-8 (2009-10, 2014 2nd Round)
 
Smyczek 2016 FastFacts:
QF(2): Delray Beach (l Querrey); Houston (l Lopez)
YTD W-L: 7-7 (5-6 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: December 30, 1987
Emirates ATP Ranking: 119
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 1-1 (2014 2nd Round)
 
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) vs Stephane Robert (FRA)                     First Meeting
 
Youzhny 2016 FastFacts:
QF(2): Stuttgart (l Thiem); Gstaad (. Brown)
YTD W-L: 10-11 (2-2 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 10
Date of Birth: June 25, 1982
Emirates ATP Ranking: 61
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): 12-13 (2007, 2009, 2015 3rd Round)
 
Robert 2016 FastFacts:
SF: Hamburg (l Klizan)
YTD W-L: 9-9 (2-2 on hard)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: May 17, 1980
Emirates ATP Ranking: 58 (Career-high)
Rogers Cup W-L (Best Result): Main Draw Debut

Much has changed for Milos Raonic since he last arrived home to contest the Rogers Cup. Two former World No. 1s being added to the coaching fray and a maiden Grand Slam final appearance only a matter of weeks ago are bringing a new wave of hype to Canada’s great hope.

Contesting his first event since his run to the Wimbledon decider, including the defeat of seven-time former champion Roger Federer en route, Raonic has been careful not to get carried away with the surge in publicity. He arrives in Toronto with his day job first and foremost on his mind. It is a mindset Carlos Moya and John McEnroe have emphasised since joining Riccardo Piatti in the coaching ranks this season.

“For sure there’s been a lot of positive attention after the past few weeks so it’s definitely been fun coming home but at the same time it’s easy to remember I’m here for the tennis so I’ve stayed away from it all and tried to put all my attention to preparing,” the 25 year old said. “At the end of the day, I’m not here for anything other than tennis.”

Seeded fourth this week, Raonic enters with a 37-9 match record on the season (17-3 on hard) in what will be his seventh Rogers Cup main draw appearance. He was runner-up in 2013 (l. to Nadal) and reached the quarter-finals in 2012 (l. to Isner) and 2014 (l. to Lopez). Last year, he lost in his opening match after a first-round bye to Karlovic in two tie-break sets. 

Beyond his runner-up showing at Wimbledon, it has been an impressive season for the Canadian. He opened the year with an eighth ATP World Tour title in Brisbane (d. Federer) and followed it up with a semi-final finish at the Australian Open (l. to Murray in five sets). He was also runner-up at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Djokovic) and Queen’s Club (l. to Murray). It is the defeats, not the victories, which Raonic is learning from most.

“Those losses stick with me a lot more than the wins,” he said. “You go back and re-watch and you re-evalute and so forth. I don’t have any intention of watching that [Wimbledon] semi-final match but I have, and will again, watch that final match (l. to Murray) to learn.

“I did a lot of things well but there’s certain things I need to do to improve. I think mentally I could have been better in that situation and that’s what I’m going to strive to do throughout this tournament, to keep getting better.”

Rogers Cup (25-31 July)

For the Rogers Cup, the top ATP stars will be at Toronto’s Aviva Centre. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will be present in Canada, gunning for a fourth Rogers Cup crown. He’ll be joined by Stan Wawrinka, Dominic Thiem, Kei Nishikori and home hope Milos Raonic. 

There’ll be up to four courts of live ATP streaming on TennisTV, with an estimated total of 72 matches. That’s an increase of 75% from last year’s 41-match offering.

As part of those live matches, we’ll be showing doubles right from the start of the week and then all of the quarter-finals, semis and final.

Western & Southern Open (15-21 August)

Three weeks later, live action will come from steamy Cincinnati, Ohio where the Western and Southern Open will be staged once again.

Two-time defending champ Roger Federer is scheduled to be there, alongside Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Stan Wawrinka.

Over 120 matches across up to seven courts will be covered live on TennisTV during the week, of which around 74 will be ATP contests.

So subscribe now to TennisTV to watch all the live ATP tennis from Toronto, Cincinnati and many more tournaments throughout the rest of 2016.

On Sunday, the ATP ACES For Charity programme presented a $15,000 grant to the Milos Raonic Foundation, ahead of the Canadian’s appearance at the Rogers Cup.

“It’s going on four years now that I decided to start my foundation, along with my family, to really help disadvantaged kids,” said Raonic during his pre-tournament press conference. “We focused on many different things. A few days ago we announced this programme that we’re funding and challenging many other people to raise funds for. It’s the SportFIT programme and a recreation camp to help kids with cerebral palsy throughout the summer be able to get more active, to be able to socially and physically participate in more activities.

“It’s been a great honour for me to have this opportunity not only to make a difference, but also to get to work alongside these kids. Every single time I’ve gone to Holland Bloorview to see the progress the kids have made, it’s been fantastic. It’s really been special to have the continuous relationship with Holland Bloorview and to see where we can take this and hopefully make a difference in a few kids’ lives. So thank you to the ATP.”

To learn more about the Milos Raonic Foundation, click here.

It’s tough to win two Challengers in a row, even more difficult to do it on two different surfaces. How are you playing now and what’s brought about this confidence?

On court, I think I realized my strengths and it’s not to overpower people, but be smart on the court and play my strengths to the other’s guy weaknesses. It’s worked well the past two weeks. I’m trying to get a high first serve percentage, use my forehand and be aggressive when I can.

It seems like that’s a bit of maturity. What does that say about where your game is now?

I’ve played on the ATP Challenger Tour the past two years and think I was worrying about other guy’s game. [thinking] they’re overpowering me. I was complaining a lot. After my first [Challenger] win in Cali, I said to myself, ‘Darian, you have to stick to it and play your game. You can’t worry about your opponent’s game.’ I spoke to my brother before every match and he looks at their weaknesses. The main thing is to stay in the points when I can and be aggressive when I can. I’ve been mentally tough these past two weeks and this is just a great achievement for me.

Mitchell didn’t have his best day out there, but what were you trying to do today?

I spoke to my brother, who’s my coach, and he told me to stay in the point and attack his forehand. You could see during the match that he was striking his backhand very well and very deep. The smarts on the court is what you have to use: slice to the forehand, loop to the forehand, using different varieties, high first-serve percentage and be aggressive when I can. Mitch didn’t show up today, but it’s all in the sport. Hopefully he can play much better next week and come out with a title.

Cali was your first Challenger final. Are you overwhelmed by the moment or taking it in stride?

I’m taking it in stride. I think I have the game to be up there, but it’s just having that belief in yourself. It’s when you wake up and you’re ready and stoked to play. I came up mentally prepared for it and physically strong every day. And I think I wanted it more than the others. In this sport, you have to be willing to work for it and I think that’s what I’ve been doing well.

How different are you now than you were a couple of years ago?

I think I’ve improved my attitude, being ready for every ball and staying focused on the moment. That’s making a good character for me on the court. Everyone’s liking it and I’m glad everyone is liking it. My brother is traveling with me now and before, I was doing it alone. I’m glad for all the help that I’ve been receiving, for people to keep me calm and focused on the court. I’m really thankful for it.

How are you going to celebrate?

I’ll go back to New York, look for friends and just hang out. Take in the moment, relax and then get back to work. 

Novak Djokovic knows the Roger Cup Centre Court inside and out. On Sunday, the three-time champion returned to those familiar confines, but in a different context.

“It was a unique opportunity to share an experience with [NHL players] in their environment,” said Djokovic, who traded his tennis racquet for a hockey stick in joining the annual exhibition ball hockey game alongside professional hockey players Connor McDavid, Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza and other NHLers. ATP World Tour players represented at the event were Denis Kudla, John Millman, Andrey Kuznetsov and the young Canadian trio of Denis Shapovalov, Felix Auger Aliassime and Benjamin Sigouin. “At the same time, it was not an ice rink, so it allowed me and the other tennis players to move around freely. It was the first time that I played hockey, ice rink or not.”

The organisers did not take it easy on the World No. 1, putting him on the spot by making him immediately take a penalty shot, which the goaltender saved. A second attempt beat the netminder, but hit the crossbar and narrowly stayed outside of the goal.

“I enjoyed it, you don’t get these opportunities too often, so I tried to make the best out of it,” said Djokovic, who just missed converting on two other scoring chances during the match, which finished in a tie.