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Wozniacki cruises, Konta upset
It’s been a great year for women’s tennis. We’ve seen incredible performances from the game’s greats as well as breakout tournaments from fresh faces ready to challenge for the top spot.
There will be no shortage of stars in Toronto as several big names in the game take to the courts for the 2019 Rogers Cup. (The men will compete in Montreal this time around.)
This year promises to be particularly exciting as the city hosts one of the strongest fields of competition the tournament has ever seen on the women’s side.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the main draw, which begins Monday, plus five storylines we’re watching.
1. Ashleigh Barty (AUS)
2. Naomi Osaka (JPN)
3. Karolina Pliskova (CZE)
4. Simona Halep (ROU)
5. Kiki Bertens (NED)
6. Elina Svitolina (UKR)
7. Sloane Stephens (USA)
8. Serena Williams (USA)
*The top eight seeds of the tournament are given a first-round bye.
Defending champion: Simona Halep (defeated Sloane Stephens in 2018)
Canadians in the mix: Bianca Andreescu will undoubtedly be the biggest draw in Toronto when she begins her Rogers Cup campaign in front of the home crowd in prime time Tuesday evening, but the 19-year-old is far from the only Canuck competing on the women’s side. In fact, it was determined during Friday night’s draw that she’ll be up against a pretty familiar face… Get ready for an all-Canadian first-round matchup:
Catching up with Belinda Bencic after a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Anastasia Potapova in the first round at Rogers Cup presented by National Bank 2019 in Toronto.
Cox: Sharapova shows flashes of brilliance in Toronto Tuesday, Aug 6 - Highlights: Rogers Cup 2019 Monday Day – Wozniacki cruises, Konta upset Tuesday, Aug 6
- Hot Shot: Belinda Bencic I Rogers Cup 2019 First Round Tuesday, Aug 6
- Genie Bouchard, Sloane Stephens and more give media tips for WTA players Tuesday, Aug 6
- Cox: Sharapova shows flashes of brilliance in Toronto Tuesday, Aug 6
- Highlights: Rogers Cup 2019 Monday Day – Wozniacki cruises, Konta upset Tuesday, Aug 6
- Hot Shot: Belinda Bencic I Rogers Cup 2019 First Round Tuesday, Aug 6
- Genie Bouchard, Sloane Stephens and more give media tips for WTA players Tuesday, Aug 6
- Juan Carlos Cordero
- President & CEO, Caminchi Bridge Corporation. Worked with Multimedia Nova as Editor-in-Chief, Publisher and GM. TV, Film & Music Producer. Academic Director for worldwide Cyberclassroomtv.com Global Online/Distance Education, and Open Learning project
Rounding out the Canadian competition are Katherine Sebov (199), Francoise Abanda (224), Gabriela Dabrowski (362), Carol Zhao (426), Carson Branstine (468), Layne Sleeth (574), Ariana Arseneault (651), and Catherine Leduc (788), all of whom are competing in qualifiers this weekend for a spot in the main draw. Rebecca Marino (171) was initially expected to compete but will miss the tournament as she deals with a nagging foot injury.
FIVE STORYLINES TO WATCH
There’s a new No. 1
It’s been quite a year for Ashleigh Barty, who became the latest to land the top spot in the WTA’s rankings in June.
The 23-year-old Aussie, who usually goes by “Ash”, has been on quite the run. Barty rocketed up the rankings in 2017, which saw her begin the year at No. 271 and finish it at No. 17. Then, after a consistent campaign in 2018 spent hovering around that 17th spot, an impressive run of success this season — which included back-to-back victories in the French Open followed by the Birmingham Classic in the span of just a few weeks — brought her up to No. 1.
She’s been hailed as a great role model in the game and has also quickly become known for her press conferences — which include refreshingly honest assessments, a little humour, and even hidden Disney references.
Can Simona Halep defend her Rogers Cup title?
The odds are certainly in her favour.
The 27-year-old, currently ranked fourth in the world, is fresh off a dominant Wimbledon win and another strong showing at the Rogers Cup could set her up for a big run at the U.S. Open later this month, too. (Many of the game’s greats use the Rogers Cup as an opportunity to face strong competition while also gearing up for the year’s final Grand Slam.)
Last year, Romania’s queen of the courts defeated Sloane Stephens to take the Rogers Cup title in Montreal. It was her second time winning the tournament, having also won two years prior (again in Montreal). Halep has had a ton of success playing in Canada, having made it to at least the semi-final in each of the past four years and recording a 17-2 match record in Canada dating back to 2015.
“I love to play in Canada,” Halep said last summer. “It’s maybe the best place because so many people are so nice with me.”
If she can win a third Canadian title, Halep will tie Serena Williams for the second-most Rogers Cup tournament wins in the Open Era.
Andreescu’s comeback starts at home
This tournament is a big one for Andreescu, and not just because the 19-year-old Mississaugan is playing in front of the hometown crowd in Toronto — the Rogers Cup could also mark the start of a comeback campaign for this breakout star.
The next week will be crucial in assessing her health after a lengthy recovery from an ongoing shoulder injury that has been bothering her since her big win at Indian Wells back in March.
As you’ll recall, Andreescu kicked off the 2019 season with a remarkable run at the ASB Classic in Auckland, which saw her get all the way to the final. She then came up big again at Indian Wells, defeating Angelique Kerber to claim the tournament crown. That’s when the shoulder injury struck, which eventually forced her to withdraw from the Miami Open back in March after winning in the first three rounds. A comeback attempt two months later during the French Open saw the same ailment flare up again and force her to withdraw and miss Wimbledon and the Citi Open, too.
By the way, here’s a cool connection: Andreescu, who is of Romanian descent and spent plenty of time there as a kid, has long watched Halep’s career and considers the Romanian star her idol.
The two spent time together during a previous Rogers Cup, when Halep gave the youngster some sound advice:
“I spoke to her a few years ago in Canada when we practiced once,” Halep said. “I told her she has to stop playing juniors. She wanted to play more but I said she is ready go to the higher level. As we see, she’s doing great.”
Naomi Osaka “relearning that fun feeling” of tennis
It’s been almost a year since Osaka won her first-career Grand Slam at last August’s U.S. Open, and what a year it’s been. The 21-year-old followed up that milestone with her second Grand Slam victory — this time, the Australia Open, which earned her the No. 1 spot on the WTA rankings.
As much success as she’s had, Osaka has also admitted to struggling with the pressure that comes with being vaulted into the spotlight.
“I can honestly reflect and say I probably haven’t had fun playing since Australia,” Osaka wrote in a personal update on Twitter earlier this week, calling the past few months some of the worst of her life. “I’m finally coming to terms with that while relearning that fun feeling.”
Osaka, now ranked No. 2, has been open about her struggles in the past before. In fact, just last year she posted about experiencing similar pressure after winning at Indian Wells. That was just ahead of the U.S. Open… and then she went and won two consecutive Grand Slam titles.
Williams within reach of (more) history
She’s got 23 grand slam titles, too many tournament wins to count, and is rightly considered the GOAT of the game. Now, Serena Williams is within reach of being the GOAT on the Canadian court, too.
The 37-year-old has won the Rogers Cup three times, putting her just one championship away from tying Monica Seles and Chris Evert for most Rogers Cup titles.
Following her Wimbledon final loss to Halep last month — her third consecutive straight-set Grand Slam final loss since winning the 2017 Australian Open — Williams talked about needing to “figure out a way to win a final.”
“Maybe playing other finals outside of Grand Slams would be really helpful just to kind of get in the groove so by the time I get to a Grand Slam final I’m kind of used to what to do and how to play,” she told reporters.
No better time than in Toronto. She’s now got a first-round bye after being bumped into the eighth seed following the announcement that sixth-seed Petra Kvitova has pulled out.
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