The ATP Tour heads north of the border this week for the 2017 edition of the Rogers Cup. It’s bound to be one blockbuster tournament with tennis legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal headlining this week’s field. Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this event and while you’re at it, you can also check out our sleeper picks for the Rogers Cup.
It isn’t a complete surprise to see Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal installed as favorites this week as they are the two highest-ranked players in the Rogers Cup field. In fact, this is the first time since since Monte Carlo in 2011 that both players have been seeded first and second in the same tennis tournament. Just when it looked like they were done and dusted, Federer and Nadal rediscovered in 2017 the form that made them two of the world’s greatest tennis players. Federer bounced back with victories at the Australian Open and Wimbledon while Nadal came back to claim a record 10th French Open title in June.
SLEEPERS: Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic
One player who’s primed for a huge performance this week is Kei Nishikori. He came close to winning this event last year, losing in straight sets to Novak Djokovic in the final. The Japanese star has a grand opportunity to do some serious damage this week with Djokovic, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic all pulling out with injuries. He enters this tournament as the No. 5 seed with Nishikori receiving a first-round bye.
Also getting an automatic spot in the round of 32 is Milos Raonic. The Canadian has had a tough year as he has yet to win in the ATP Tour this season. He will look to rectify that at the Rogers Cup, a tournament he came close to winning in 2013. He reached the final in Montreal that year, the closest a Canadian has come to winning the men’s crown since Bob Bédard won the last of his three titles in 1958. It won’t get any easier for Raonic, however, as he has been handed a tough draw this year. If the seeds hold, Rafael Nadal awaits him in the quarterfinals. Raonic is 2-7 in his career against the Spaniard.
LONG SHOT: Denis Shapovalov
Denis Shapovalov will be a good long shot this week. The 18-year-old Canadian, currently ranked inside the Top 200, will be making his second appearance at the Rogers Cup, after debuting last summer with a stunning first-round win over Nick Kyrgios in Toronto. Shapovalov, who captured the junior Wimbledon title in 2016, has won three of 10 matches since turning professional last year. The six-foot lefty will face Rogerio Dutra Silva in the first round. Shapovalov is pegged at -240to win that match.
