Preview & Schedule: Kyrgios, Zverev Kick Off Montreal Campaigns

Nick Kyrgios proved he’s still one of the world’s elite players by taking the title last week at the Citi Open. He now looks to show that he can back up big results when he headlines Tuesday’s night session against Kyle Edmund at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal.

“I’ve had people behind me, backing me, and they never lost faith in me even when I lost faith in myself,” said Kyrgios after winning the title in Washington, D.C. “It’s great to get the win, but I’ve proved to myself and the people backing me that I can still produce at the highest level.”

Who will win the latest @FedEx ATP Head2Head clash between these players?#CoupeRogers

— ATP Tour (@ATP_Tour) August 6, 2019

The Aussie scored back-to-back Top 10 wins last week over Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev to clinch his sixth ATP Tour crown. However, Kyrgios has struggled with consistency this year. His outstanding run to the title this March in Acapulco, which included wins over Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev, was followed by a 5-7 record heading into the North American hard-court swing.

But Kyrgios is taking a day-by-day approach to his recent success. He’ll need to bring his best against Edmund, who he leads 1-0 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. The 24-year-old Brit has shown improved form in recent weeks, reaching the semi-finals on grass in Eastbourne and recording a quarter-final finish in Washington, D.C.

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Third-seeded German and 2017 champion Alexander Zverev returns to the site of his first hard-court ATP Masters 1000 title when he faces Brit Cameron Norrie. Zverev defeated Norrie in their lone FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting this year in Acapulco.

Although Zverev’s form hasn’t been as strong as his previous two seasons, he prevailed this year in Geneva (d. Jarry) and is currently in ninth place in the ATP Race to London. The 22-year-old is optimistic that the positive memories he has of Montreal will rekindle his best tennis.

“It helps going back to places where you know you have done well, where you have won the tournament and you feel comfortable,” said Zverev. “I hope this will be the case. I hope this place will help me on court and we will see how it goes.”

All eyes will be on Montreal native Felix Auger-Aliassime when he takes on Vasek Pospisil in an all-Canadian clash. The #NextGenATP star leads his FedEx ATP Head2Head series with Pospisil 2-0, including a win last month at Wimbledon.

Auger-Aliassime has jumped more than 100 spots in the ATP Rankings since playing here last year and reached his first three ATP Tour finals this season in Rio de Janeiro, Lyon and Stuttgart. Pospisil missed the first half of this year after undergoing back surgery in January.

“I’d be lying if I said that I’m going on the court and it just feels like any other tournament,” said Auger-Aliiassime. “It feels special. Hopefully I can use that energy and that support in a good way.”

Other notable matches on Tuesday include No. 11 seed Borna Coric of Croatia taking on German Peter Gojowczyk, No. 12 seed John Isner of the United States battling Aussie Jordan Thompson and No. 14 seed Marin Cilic of Croatia squaring off with American qualifier Bradley Klahn. Andy Murray also hits the doubles court with Feliciano Lopez as they face second seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo.

ORDER OF PLAY – TUESDAY, 6 August 2019

Court Centrale start 12:00 noon
[14] Marin Cilic vs [Q] Bradley Klahn
NB 2:00 pm
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs [WC] Vasek Pospisil
NB 6:30 pm
Nick Kyrgios vs Kyle Edmund
[3] Alexander Zverev vs Cameron Norrie

Banque Nationale start 12:00 noon
[12] Jordan Thompson vs John Isner
[15] David Goffin vs Guido Pella
[11] Borna Coric vs Peter Gojowczyk
NB 6:30 pm
[13] Nikoloz Basilashvili vs Jan-Lennard Struff

Click here to view the schedule for all other courts.