MONTRÉAL, Canada – Two years after doing battle for the Rogers Cup title in 2014, Agnieszka Radwanska and Venus Williams take center stage in Montréal once more. Who else will be in action? 

Wednesday, Second Round

Central
[4] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL #4) vs. Monica Niculescu (ROU #61)
Head-to-head: Radwanska leads 3-1
Kicking off play on Wednesday on Court Central is Radwanska, champion from 2014 and among the most consistent hardcourt performers of the last 12 months. Radwanska brought the form that helped her win the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global last fall to the start of the season, reaching the semifinals or better at her first four tournaments – including the Australian Open. Inconsistencies followed on clay and grass, where the Pole found herself outgunned all too often by rival Dominika Cibulkova.

In a low-pressure part of the season with few points to defend, Radwanska will seek to maintain her hardcourt mastery of the always-tricky Niculescu, who won their only meeting on grass. The Romanian veteran used all of her guile and cunning to frustrate young Latvian Jelena Ostapenko in three sets on Tuesday, but can she surprise fellow trick shot queen Radwanska with something new in her arsenal?

Barbora Strycova (CZE #22) vs. [6] Venus Williams (USA #6)
Head-to-head: Venus leads 3-0
Following a slow start to 2016, Venus has played vintage tennis since the tour turned to grass. Reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal since 2010, the reigning Wimbledon doubles champion all but perfectly transitioned onto the hardcourts at her beloved Bank of the West Classic, where she narrowly lost to an on-fire Johanna Konta in three sets.

Strycova is no stranger to the faster surfaces herself, having reached two WTA finals of her own in 2016 in Dubai and Birmingham. Another crafty veteran, the Czech’s head-to-head with the elder Williams sister is deceptive, given that their last two matches went the distance – including their hardcourt meeting at the Qatar Total Open in 2015. Can Strycova notch her first win over a Venus who appears back in orbit?

Stat to watch: Venus is back up to her highest ranking since February 2011.

Also on court…
Kicking off the night session will be Canada’s own Eugenie Bouchard, who will seek to replicate her thrilling three-set win over Eugenie Bouchard against a familiar foe in No.11 seed Dominika Cibulkova, who won their most recent meeting at Wimbledon. Following that dynamic duo is No.2 seed and reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber, who faces the always-dangerous Mirjana Lucic-Baroni for a spot in the third round. An all-American battle is on offer between No.10 seed Madison Keys and Madison Brengle on Court Banque Nationale, while Russians Alla Kudryavtseva and No.9 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova face off on Court 5.