An executive summary of what every fan should know about the coming week on the ATP World Tour
1. Rafa Eyes No. 1: Rafael Nadal will retake No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings if he reaches the Coupe Rogers semi-finals. Nadal has not been World No. 1 since 6 July 2014. The Spaniard is making his 11th appearance at Coupe Rogers, where he is 28-7 overall and 18-4 in Montreal.
2. Back at the Top: Nadal and Roger Federer are the top two seeds in Montreal. The Spaniard and Swiss have not been the Top 2 seeds at Coupe Rogers since 2009. That year, Federer was the No. 1 seed, Nadal was No. 2, and both lost in the quarter-finals.
Nadal is a three-time champion (2005, 2008, 2013) and Federer is a two-time winner (2004, 2006). The Big Four have captured 24 of 27 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won 2014 Toronto (89 per cent). The other non-Big Four champions are Marin Cilic (2016 Cincinnati) and Alexander Zverev (2017 Rome).
3. Remarkable Roger: Federer, who turns 36 on Tuesday, is making his first appearance in Canada since losing to Tsonga in the 2014 Toronto final. He has not played in Montreal since falling to Tsonga in the 2011 third round. Federer is 11-4 in Montreal and 20-5 in Toronto, where he has won both of his Coupe Rogers titles.
This season, Federer is 31-2 with an ATP-best five titles, including his 18th and 19th Grand Slam championships at the Australian Open and Wimbledon respectively. He won his 25th and 26th Masters 1000 titles respectively at Indian Wells and Miami.
4. Milos at Home: Canada’s own Milos Raonic is making his eighth Coupe Rogers main draw appearance (10-7 record). He has reached the quarter-finals or better in four of the past five years, with a runner-up finish in 2013 (l. to Nadal) and quarter-final runs in 2012, 2014 and 2016.
5. Tsonga’s Success: Tsonga is 16-4 at Coupe Rogers, including semi-finals at Montreal in 2009 and 2011. He defeated Federer, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic en route to the 2014 Toronto title.
6. #NextGenATP Invasion: Zverev, the Emirates ATP Race To Milan leader, is joined in the Coupe Rogers main draw by fellow Next Gen ATP Finals contenders Karen Khachanov, Borna Coric, Daniil Medvedev, Hyeon Chung, Jared Donaldson, Frances Tiafoe and Denis Shapovalov.
7. Tale of Two Races: Zverev could qualify for both the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals and year-end Nitto ATP Finals. He entered Washington last week at No. 6 in the Emirates ATP Race To London.
8. Wild Cards: All four singles wild cards are Canadian: 2013 semi-finalist Vasek Pospisil, Peter Polansky, Brayden Schnur and Shapovalov. Schnur, 22, is seeking his first ATP World Tour victory. Shapovalov, 18, earned his first tour-level victory over Nick Kyrgios at 2016 Toronto.
9. Nestor Streak: Less than a month shy of his 45th birthday, Daniel Nestor is expected to make his 29th straight Coupe Rogers appearance. Nestor has a 45-26 tournament record with 12 different partners, winning Toronto titles in 2000 with Sebastien Lareau and 2008 with Nenad Zimonjic.
10. Double Your Fun: Among the direct acceptances in the Montreal doubles draw are eight Grand Slam championship teams, including five-time Coupe Rogers champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan.
It’s not often that Roger Federer walks through the grounds of an ATP World Tour event without memories of lifting the trophy. But that is the case this week in Montreal, as the Swiss makes his long-awaited return to the Stade Uniprix.
Appearing for the first time in six years, Federer has reached the final just once in the Canadian metropolis, falling to Novak Djokovic in 2007. The Coupe Rogers has witnessed the 35 year old lift the trophy on two occasions, defeating Andy Roddick in 2004 and Richard Gasquet in 2006, but both victories came in Toronto (the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event alternates between the two cities every year). But Federer says that despite his lack of great success in Montreal, there is one moment – an off-court memory – that stands out above the rest.
“I remember the Djokovic match in the 2007 final and maybe a match against [Gaston] Gaudio where I saved match point,” said Federer. “It feels a little like a blur to be honest. But my most important one was in 2009, when my girls were two weeks old.
“It was our first trip as a family. They just got their passports and traveled here. I remember we had an unbelievable time and I was trying to be a dad for the first time. It was all out of control in the nicest possible way. It was here in Montreal, so it will always be special for me here. This year, I’m here without the family so it’s a bit different and bit more quiet. I’ll plan on resting and sleeping while I can.”
Montreal has been waiting a long time for this. Welcome back @rogerfederer! #CoupeRogers pic.twitter.com/8qXsTqbB5a
— Coupe Rogers (@CoupeRogers) August 5, 2017
The Coupe Rogers is the third-oldest tour-level event on the calendar, behind only Wimbledon and the US Open, and its Montreal venue – the Stade Uniprix – has plenty of history itself. It is the former site of Jarry Park Stadium, where the now extinct Montreal Expos (of Major League Baseball) once played. Much of the core seating and some lighting even remains intact, as a tribute to Montreal’s sporting history.
With fans already flowing into the venue for qualifying and to catch a glimpse of the top stars practising, Federer acknowledged the great energy and excitement around the grounds.
“What I see here is a soul in this tournament and a soul in the Centre Court. It’s not totally symmetrical, which makes it unique as well. They’re either a box or a circle. In most venues, they’re the same, but here they’re not.
“The crowd is full most of the time and there are day and night sessions, which is nice. There’s a great energy in the town and they can sense that tennis is back. They only have this one big tournament during the year and fans make the most of it. I hope we can make it a great experience for fans who show up and pay good money for the tickets.”
With Rafael Nadal seeded first and Federer second, it marks the first time since 2011 that the two legends are leading the pack at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event. Federer is soaring into Montreal, having won 11 consecutive matches, with title runs on the grass of the Gerry Weber Open and Wimbledon. He has also won 11 straight matches on hard courts, claiming the Masters 1000 crowns in Indian Wells and Miami in March.
Despite Federer and Nadal headlining the tournament, notable withdrawals include Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka, who all pulled out due to injury. The Swiss lamented the absence of three of his biggest rivals from one of the ATP World Tour’s biggest tournaments.
“I hope it’s not going to continue like this, where everyone takes the second part of the season off. Novak and now Stan, who might need to have surgery. Cilic too and the same with Andy. I hope that when they come back, they will be in very good form and when Novak and Stan return next year that they will be in good shape.
“I don’t like to see it, but when you take a few months off in the middle of a 15-20 year career, it might not be that much. Sometimes when you have no choice, it makes it easier. It’s about staying positive in those difficult moments. But I wish all those guys all the strength they need.”
Federer is a global icon, but might have the crowd against him in his opener, facing a Canadian wild card in Vasek Pospisil or Peter Polansky. Fifth seed Kei Nishikori looms large in his quarter of the draw, with third seed Dominic Thiem a potential semi-final opponent.
Canadian seeks first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Montreal
Montreal fans are among some of the most vocal and passionate on the ATP World Tour, which will create a rock concert atmosphere when home favourite Milos Raonic takes the court at the Coupe Rogers.
The sixth seed will start his Montreal campaign against Adrian Mannarino or #NextGenATP Russian Daniil Medvedev. Raonic has enjoyed success on home soil before, finishing runner-up at this event in 2013 (l. Nadal) and reaching at least the quarter-finals in four of his past five attempts. Most importantly, he has moved past the injuries that plagued him at the beginning of the season and is able to play and practise the way he wants.
“I’ve been healthy physically for a while now, which is nice,” said Raonic. “I’ve also been a lot better over the past few weeks in some of the areas that aren’t necessarily the core of my game, so hopefully I can continue to build on that.
“I haven’t had the freedom of just thinking about tennis at times. I’ve been thinking about a lot of other things in the sense of staying healthy and other areas around my game,” he added. “The beauty of this most recent period is that I’ve been able to get my mind back strictly on tennis.”
Although Raonic is still seeking his first ATP World Tour title of the season, he’s consistently gone deep in the events he’s played. He finished runner-up in Delray Beach (l. Sock via w/o) and Istanbul (l. Cilic), recorded semi-final finishes in Lyon and Brisbane, and reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Rome.
If he’s going to lift his first winner’s trophy this year, there arguably wouldn’t be a better place to do it than Montreal. Raonic spent plenty of time training here as a junior and has reconnected this week with the family that hosted him for years. He’s always received plenty of support from fans here and they’ll be eager to try and lift him to his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title.
“There’s an incredible appreciation for this tournament in Montreal and there’s an amazing turnout year after year,” said Raonic. “There’s an unbelievable atmosphere and energy on the court. I have great memories here from four years ago, so those moments and that familiarity will serve me well.”
Spaniard could unseat Andy Murray in Montreal
Rafael Nadal could reclaim his standing as World No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings at the Coupe Rogers, but the Spaniard said he’s focused on the matches at hand for now.
A semi-final finish in Montreal will allow top seed Nadal to unseat Andy Murray in the top spot, a position he hasn’t held since July 2014. But with several tricky opponents potentially standing between him and the last four, including home favourite Milos Raonic, red-hot John Isner and the always dangerous Juan Martin del Potro, Nadal said he can’t afford to look ahead.
“I don’t even think about that now. I’m trying to have the right preparation now and that’s it,” said Nadal. “I’m going to keep trying to play the way I did in the first part of the season, so if I’m able to make that happen, I hope to have a chance to do well.”
Nadal has enjoyed plenty of success before in Canada, winning here in 2005, 2008 and 2013. His winning record has spanned generations of ATP World Tour legends, but while many of his former peers have long since retired, he’s still going strong in one of the best seasons of his career.
“Early in my career there was Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, a lot of good players. Roger Federer was there, and Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray came a little later. That was a long time ago already, too,” joked Nadal. “The only difference is that we’re older. In the past year-and-a-half, there’s been a good new generation that increased the number of top players, but that’s sport in general.”
His resurgence in 2017, including the historic “La Decima” at Roland Garros, has been one of the most talked about storylines this season. But perhaps most impressive is that the Spaniard is still as motivated as ever to win after 16 years on tour. The 31 year old believes that the reason he and 35-year-old Federer are continuing to rack up titles this year is not only because they’re fully healthy again, but also that their passion for the sport has never wavered.
“We love what we are doing. We have the passion to compete and play tennis, so that helps us to be professional and do the right things on and off the court. If you are healthy, it’s much easier to keep playing longer,” said Nadal. “The mental aspect isn’t difficult if you love the sport. We’re privileged to work for a living at one of our hobbies.”
| British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships |
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| Venue: Nottingham Tennis Centre Date: Semi-finals and final, 5-6 August |
| Coverage: Live streaming of the semi-finals and final from 09:45 BST across Connected TV, BBC Sport website and mobile app. |
Lucy Shuker defended her mixed doubles title on the final day of the British Open in Nottingham.
British number one Shuker, 37, and France’s Stephane Houdet, 46, defeated Alfie Hewett, another Briton, and USA’s Dana Mathewson 6-3 7-5.
“It was really good fun,” Shuker said. “Dana and Alfie played really well and Stephane is just a gentleman.
“He’s always encouraging and if you make a mistake, there’s no negativity. For me it was just total enjoyment.”
Shuker, who won the mixed doubles with compatriot Andy Lapthorne in 2015, when the mixed doubles was last held at the British Open, added that she intended to complete a hat-trick of victories with Houdet next year.
In a match that featured high-quality rallies, it was top seeds Shuker and Houdet who got an early break of serve, winning the first two games.
A skilful volley from Shuker at the net secured the first set.
The second set was tighter but Houdet’s powerful forehand and pinpoint accuracy, combined with Shuker’s skill at the net, proved too much for Hewett and Mathewson.
At 5-5, it was the eventual champions who took control, taking the next two games to win the match.
The mixed doubles was popular with both the crowds and the players at this year’s British Open.
However, not all tour events have a wheelchair mixed doubles tournament – there are none at any of the Grand Slams – and those involved do not currently receive ranking points.
“You get to play a match with someone you would never get to play with – I’d never get to play on the same court as Houdet in any other circumstance,” Mathewson said.
“The style of play is different and I thought it was a really good way to mix things up.”
All four of the British Open finalists said they wanted to see more mixed doubles events on tour.
“I would definitely encourage other tournaments to get the event going,” Hewett said.
“I think if there was some sort of incentive or reward for playing as well, it would get more playing. It doesn’t have to be money. It can be vouchers, like we got here, or something else.”
Shuker added: “As a woman playing with a guy on the court, it’s unbelievable to see what they’re able to do. It’s exciting. I think the more that it’s in the tournaments, the more that people will start to play – and hopefully it will grow more and more.”
Houdet said he thinks the event could well be successful on one of the world’s biggest stages.
He said: “I really want to see the event at the Paralympics, definitely.”
Earlier on Sunday it was also runners-up honours for Hewett in the men’s singles, as he lost 6-4 6-3 to world number one Gustavo Fernandez.
It was always going to be tough for Hewett with Fernandez enjoying an incredible run of form catapulting him to the top of the rankings just before Wimbledon.
In the quads division, Andy Lapthorne lost his singles final to world number one David Wagner of the USA.
Lapthorne started well with two love service games – but fresh from his quads doubles victory yesterday, Wagner won eight games in a row to seal a 6-3 6-1 victory.
In the juniors section, there was double success for 15-year-old Ruiari Logan, who retained his singles title and took the British Open juniors mixed doubles title with Ellie Robinson as well.
Logan also competed in the senior draw this week, scoring his first senior men’s singles victory before losing in round two to Hewett.
Revisit the week that was on the ATP Challenger Tour as we applaud the achievements of those on the rise and look ahead to who’s in action in the week to come
A LOOK BACK
International Challenger Chengdu (Chengdu, China): Top seed Yen-Hsun Lu of Chinese Taipei picked up a staggering 28th ATP Challenger Tour title by defeating second seed Evgeny Donskoy of Russia 6-3, 6-4. The 33 year old wins his second title of the year and is now 20-3 in Challenger finals since 2008. Donskoy was seeking his second Challenger win of 2017 after prevailing this March in Zhuhai.
Thindown Challenger (Biella, Italy): Fifth seed Filip Krajinovic of Serbia saved his best tennis for the final by defeating local favourite Salvatore Caruso 6-3, 6-2. The 25 year old has won three Challenger titles this year after also prevailing in Heilbronn in May and this past month in Marburg. Caruso was appearing in his first Challenger final.
Open Castilla Y Leon (Segovia, Spain): In an all-#NextGenATP final, Jaume Munar delighted the home crowd by prevailing over Alex De Minaur of Australia 6-3, 6-4. The week was a remarkable turnaround for Munar, who had only won a single main draw match this year at the Challenger level. The Spaniard is currently No. 301 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, but will surpass his career-high ranking of No. 243 when the newest standings are released on Monday.
De Minaur drops to 0-2 in Challenger finals. The 18 year old has already jumped nearly 150 spots in the Emirates ATP Rankings this year and will move inside the Top 200 in Monday.
Kentucky Bank Tennis Championships (Lexington, Kentucky): Fourth seed and #NextGenATP American Michael Mmoh scored an upset 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-3 win over third seed John Millman of Australia. Mmoh served to stay in the match at 5-6 in the second set, but rebounded to win his first Challenger title of the year and second overall. Millman was aiming to prevail again in Lexington after taking the title in 2015.
Svijany Open (Liberec, Czech Republic): Fourth seed Pedro Sousa of Portugal picked up his second Challenger title of the year by defeating Guilherme Clezar of Brazil 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. The 29 year old also finished runner-up last week in Tampere. Sousa won his maiden Challenger crown this February in Francavilla.
A LOOK AHEAD
There are four Challengers on the schedule this week, with a new $150,000 event in Jinan, China, taking top billing. Lu and Donskoy return as the top two seeds, while #NextGenATP South Koreans Duchkee Lee and Soon Woo Kwon are the third and sixth seeds, respectively.
The $100,000 event in Aptos, California, celebrates its 30th consecutive year of play. Past champions include Andy Murray, Patrick Rafter and Marcos Baghdatis. Malek Jaziri of Tunisia is the top seed and Jordan Thompson of Australia is the second seed. Six #NextGenATP players are in the draw including Aussie Akira Santilan, Americans Taylor Fritz and Noah Rubin, and Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan. An all-#NextGenATP battle also highlights the opening round as seventh seed Casper Ruud of Norway plays Quentin Halys of France.
The $50,000 Challenger in Floridablanca, Colombia, is back for the ninth consecutive year. Guido Pella of Argentina is the top seed and Victor Estrella Burgos of the Dominican Republic is the second seed. Local favourite and 2014 champion Alejandro Falla is also in the draw.
Lastly, the $50,000 event in Portoroz, Slovenia, returns for the fifth straight year. 2014 champion and local favourite Blaz Kavcic is the top seed, Peter Gojowczyk is the second seed and Krajinovic looks for another title is the sixth seed. An intriguing all-#NextGenATP first-round is also in the draw featuring De Minaur and Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece.
View Draws & Watch Free Live Streams
ATP CHALLENGER TOUR ON TWITTER: The ATP Challenger Tour has launched a dedicated Twitter account for the latest news and information about players and events. Follow @ATPChallenger at twitter.com/ATPChallenger.
American defeats Kokkinakis in Saturday final
Mexico has continued to treat Sam Querrey well in 2017. The American defeated Rafael Nadal this March to take the title in Acapulco, and the second seed has now prevailed at Abierto Mexicano de Tenis Mifel presentado por Cinemex in Los Cabos by winning Saturday’s final over wild card and #NextGenATP Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
“It’s really exciting to win here. I felt like I played really well. This tournament only keeps getting better, so I’m already excited to come back next year,” said Querrey. “I think the last couple of months have been the best I’ve played and if I can keep this going the rest of the year, it’ll be my best year on tour yet.”
Querrey picks up his 10th ATP World Tour singles title and second of 2017, marking just the second time in his career (2010) that he’s won more than one title in a season. His victory will also put him back inside the Top 20 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time since July 2013.
Despite the loss, Kokkinakis can take heart in achieving the best result of his career. The 21 year old had never reached an ATP World Tour quarter-final prior to this week. He is the lowest-ranked finalist (No. 454) since then-World No. 966 Raemon Sluiter at the 2009 Ricoh Open.
“I’m obviously disappointed at the moment. I definitely thought I could have done better, but I have to look at the positives in that this is my best week on tour. Hopefully this is just a small step,” said Kokkinakis. “The good news is that I have a lot of things to work on and I’m still having tight matches with some of the best players in the world.”
The 21 year old was sidelined from singles competition for 18 months with a laundry list of injuries, but returned to singles action this past May. In just his fourth tournament back, he defeated Milos Raonic at the Aegon Championships. Kokkinakis has only played seven tournaments this season, but will jump to around No. 225 when the newest standings are released on Monday.
Querrey picks up 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points and a cheque for $113,640, while Kokkinakis leaves Los Cabos with 150 Emirates ATP Rankings points and a cheque for $59,850.
The second seed needed just 17 minutes to race to a 4-1 lead in the opening set and went on to grab the early advantage, but Kokkinakis regrouped by scoring the lone break of the second set a 2-1 and eventually forcing a decider. It appeared that the Aussie was on his way to his first ATP World Tour singles title, but Querrey regrouped by breaking Kokkinakis for 2-0 in the final set and once more in the last game to prevail in one hour and 46 minutes.