The world-wide road show that is professional tennis arrives in Canada this weekend for the Rogers Cup, a tournament one step below the Grand Slams that takes place in two cities 540 miles apart.
The venues alternate annually so this year the ATP men are in Montreal, the WTA women are in Toronto.
All the top players, save World No. 2 Roger Federer and World No. 7 David Ferrer, will be competing.
Federer, who turns 34 Saturday, withdrew to conserve energy for the US Open that begins at the end of the month. Ferrer withdrew because of an elbow injury.
Three Canadians are in the main draws: World No. 10 Milos Raonic, World No. 49 Vasek Pospisil and World No. 25 Eugenie Bouchard.
All are coming from different directions.
Earlier this summer, Pospisil had a wonderful run at Wimbledon before losing to Scotland’s Andy Murray in the quarter-finals.
After suffering a wrist injury, Pospisil returned to action last week in Atlanta, losing in the quarter-finals to veteran Marco Baghdatis in straight sets. Thursday in Washington, he lost a third-round match, also in straight sets, to John Isner.
Raonic skipped the French Open in May because of foot surgery and has not played since a third-round loss at Wimbledon. Stepping (gingerly) away from the tour, he has seen his world ranking drop from No. 4 to No. 10. With Federer and Ferrer’s withdrawals, he is seeded eighth in Montreal.
Bouchard was the toast of the tennis world in 2014 when she made it to the Wimbledon finals and the semis at the Australian and French Opens.
This year she’s been, well, toast. Adjusting to a new coach, suffering from a nagging abdominal injury, she has lost 12 of her last 14 matches.
For a myriad of reasons, which have mystified many, she has seen her ranking fall from No. 5 last October to her current No. 25.
She, like Raonic, has not played since Wimbledon, where she lost in the first round.
Stephanie Myles, who many believe to be Canada’s top tennis commentator, has been following all three Canadians closely.
Myles spoke to RCI by phone from her home in Montreal.
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