Grigor Dimitrov and Andrey Rublev made an impressive debut as a doubles team on Tuesday.

The singles stars upset reigning Wimbledon titlists Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell 3-6, 6-2, 10-8 to reach the second round of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers. It will not get any easier for Dimitrov and Rublev, who will next try to upset second seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.

Two-time Roland Garros champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies survived a stern test from Lukasz Kubot and Stan Wawrinka. The Germans battled through a Match Tie-break 4-6, 6-1, 10-5.

In other doubles action, Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop eliminated Karen Khachanov and Denis Shapovalov 7-6(5), 4-6, 10-6. The Indian-Dutch duo will next face the Polish team of Hubert Hurkacz and Jan Zielinski.

In some ways, that more-than-month-long pause between Mallorca and Los Cabos felt like an eternity for Daniil Medvedev.

But the interruption to his usual regimens/rhythms/routines, which included sitting out Wimbledon, doesn’t seem to have done him any harm, at least when it comes to the on-court results. Last week, the reigning World No. 1 departed Mexico with trophy in hand, his first of the year, and he returns to the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers as the defending champion, healthy and eager for a repeat performance.

Of course, this summer stretch is usually when the 26-year-old summons his best tennis. It was here in 2019, after all, that he introduced himself to the tennis world at large, embarking on a remarkable stretch that would see him reach consecutive finals in Washington, Montreal, Cincinnati, Flushing Meadows, St. Petersburg and Shanghai. If there’s a Medvedevian stretch on the ATP calendar, the North American hard-court swing is most definitely it.

“I’m in great confidence right now,” said Medvedev, who missed another chunk of time earlier this year after undergoing hernia surgery. “That’s why I went to Las Cabos, because I wanted to see where I was after the clay-court and the grass seasons, which are very different. It’s good to come back on hard courts to know what your position is compared to the best players. I feel very confident and I feel good for the next tournaments.”

Following a first-round bye, Medvedev will jump right into it against a player who’s building up some confidence of his own: Nick Kyrgios, who advanced on Tuesday via a 6-4, 6-4 opening-round win over Sebastian Baez. Last month, the 27-year-old Aussie reached his first major final at Wimbledon, and last week wrapped up a title of his own in Washington. The 37th-ranked Kyrgios owns a 2-1 edge in ATP Head2Heads, though he dropped their most recent encounter earlier this year in the second round of the Australian Open, 7-6(1), 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

“I’m happy that I’m giving everyone what they want: Kyrgios v. Medvedev, second round,” said Kyrgios with a smile.

“It’s going to be hard, that’s for sure,” he continued. “I know physically and mentally I’m not as fresh as I would like. But he also came off a title last week in Los Cabos. He’s going to be feeling a little bit tired, too — I hope. But I’m going to do everything right. I’m going to get a good rest tonight, good physio, and I’m just going to give it my best shot. I’m going to go out there and have fun and try and play the best I can. It’s not a bad result if you lose to Medvedev. Most of the world does.”

Medvedev says the absence of the Big Three of Federer/Nadal/Djokovic this week won’t affect his outlook in the least.

“It doesn’t change anything for me,” he said. “When you play a tournament, you want to win it. Whoever you play in the final or the semis doesn’t matter. Of course, if you beat one of the top players in the world, the better-ranked players, those who’ve won Grand Slams, it’s always a good feeling. But the important thing is to win the tournament. It’s a thousand points. It’s a title. The trophy is the same whoever you play. It’s both things at the same time.”

World No. 4 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain — one of only two ATP Masters 1000 hard court champions this year — will make his tournament debut against American Tommy Paul. In reaching the Umag final in July, the 19-year-old became the second-youngest player this century to crack the Top 5 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, outpaced only by countryman Rafael Nadal. The No. 2 seed is seeking a tour-best fifth title on the year, adding to trophies from Rio, Miami, Barcelona and Madrid.

No. 3 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the 2018 final in his National Bank Open debut (l. to Nadal, 6-2, 7-6(4)), notching four Top-10 wins along the way. With the conclusion of clay and grass campaigns, he is one of only two players with a chance to win tour-level titles on all three surfaces in 2022. The Greek star’s first test will come in the form of British qualifier Jack Draper, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over fellow qualifier Hugo Gaston of France.

With Denis Shapovalov, Alexis Galarneau and Vasek Pospisil having all been knocked out of the draw, World No. 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime remains the lone Canadian hopeful in the draw. (There hasn’t been a homegrown champion since 1958, Robert Bedard, when the event was held in Vancouver.) The Rotterdam titlist is set to face Washington finalist Yoshihito Nishioka, against whom he’s 1-2 in ATP Head2Heads.

In a season full of impressive victories, Taylor Fritz made another statement on Tuesday.

The American overpowered former World No. 1 Andy Murray 6-1, 6-3 to reach the second round of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers. Fritz will next play countryman Frances Tiafoe.

“It’s an honour to be on the court with Andy,” Fritz said in his on-court interview. “Just to get the chance to play him, he’s been around, he’s been dominating since before I came on Tour and basically the whole time I’ve been on Tour, so it’s an honour just to play him.”

Throughout his illustrious career, Murray has found ways to turn matches around, especially against big hitters. His defense has stymied the best offensive players of his generation time and time again. But not Tuesday evening under the lights in Montreal.

Fritz showed no fear and consistently went for his shots, whether from neutral positions or on the full stretch. The 10th seed was unrelenting in his offence — winning a 14-minute game to break in Murray’s first service game — and he never looked back to improve to 31-12 on the season.

“You go through different parts of the season. Part of the hard-court season you have a good rhythm, then you go play on clay, then you go back to hard and it might not be the same,” Fritz said. “I haven’t always played well this part of the year before the US Open, so it feels really good this year, it just seems different. I’m playing good tennis right now.”

This year’s BNP Paribas Open champion, who is pursuing his second ATP Masters 1000 title, earned a break at 3-3 in the second set by jumping on a short second serve. Later in the rally, Murray dumped a forehand into the net.

The former World No. 1 battled hard as he always does, earning a chance to level the second set. Fritz quickly blunted that opportunity by crushing a forehand winner.

“There are a couple things I need to dial in. I think I could serve just a little bit better,” Fritz said. “But from the ground I felt great. I was being aggressive, attacking, changing [directions] off of both sides. I think I could go deep if I dial in a few things.”

Fritz’s next opponent, Tiafoe, suffered a heartbreaking late-night loss in Washington against Nick Kyrgios. He got back on track by rallying past Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-3 after two hours and 36 minutes.

Fritz and Tiafoe have known each other since they were juniors. The former has won three of their four ATP Head2Head clashes, most recently triumphing in straight sets in the second round of this year’s Australian Open.

Did You Know?
Fritz is in ninth place in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, 315 points behind eighth-placed Felix Auger-Aliassime. The American is trying to qualify for the Nitto ATP Final for the first time. 

Nick Kyrgios set a popcorn second-round meeting with World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev on Tuesday at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers, downing Sebastian Baez 6-4, 6-4 to earn his seventh consecutive win.

The Australian captured his seventh ATP Tour title in Washington last week and immediately found his rhythm in Montreal, outmanoeuvring the Argentine as he combined heavy-hitting with deft touch to advance after one hour and 25 minutes.

“Physically I feel fine. Mentally just so tired. I haven’t had much sleep the past couple of days, but I am trying to put that behind me already,” Kyrgios said in his on-court interview. “I am in Montreal and I haven’t played great tennis in Montreal in the past, so I wanted to come out here today and get that match up against Medvedev next. It will be a lot of fun. I just want to create some good memories in Montreal.”

The 27-year-old, who is up to No. 33 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, has now won 12 of his past 13 matches, having advanced to his maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon last month.

Kyrgios will look to continue that run when he faces reigning champion Medvedev in the second round. The 27-year-old leads the top seed 2-1 in their ATP Head2Head series, however, Medvedev won their most recent meeting at the Australian Open in January.

“Medvedev is a hell of a player. His style is so unorthodox, he is a great competitor and he is just an animal,” Kyrgios added. “I am looking forward to seeing where I am at.”

Kyrgios is making his eighth appearance at the Canadian ATP Masters 1000 event this week, with his best result a run to the third round in 2015 and 2017.

The Australian was the more aggressive player throughout his match against Baez. He consistently hit through the Argentine when he stepped inside the baseline during their first-round clash. INSIGHTS In Attack show that Kyrgios spent double the time in an attacking position than did Baez.

INSIGHTS: IN ATTACK

_{^{Figure 1: In Attack score from 2022 Montreal first-round clash between Nick Kyrgios and Sebastian Baez.}}

The 21-year-old Baez has enjoyed a breakthrough season on the Tour, highlighted by his first title in Estoril in April. However, the World No. 32 was unable to cope with Kyrgios’ powerful hitting on debut in Montreal.

Matteo Berrettini made his National Bank Open Presented by Rogers debut on Tuesday, but Pablo Carreno Busta ensured it was a short one.

The Spaniard, who lost against Berrettini in straight sets in the fourth round of this year’s Australian Open, avenged that defeat with a 6-3, 6-2 victory in the first round in Montreal.

Berrettini is working his way back from March right hand surgery, which has limited him to just four tournaments since Indian Wells. Covid-19 also forced him to miss Wimbledon.

Carreno Busta took full advantage with a ruthless display of consistent aggression. The Spaniard prevented his opponent from finding a rhythm without risking too much himself. After securing a second service break in the second set, the 31-year-old let out a big roar knowing the finish line was in sight.

In a battle of former Top 10 players in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Carreno Busta did not face a break point to triumph after one hour and 17 minutes. The six-time ATP Tour titlist will next play #NextGenATP Dane Holger Rune or Italian qualifier Fabio Fognini.