Today marks Day 4 of the Rogers Cup, and it’s chockablock with Canadian talent.
Here are three athletes to watch in today’s tournament action:
EUGENIE BOUCHARD (Singles Ranking 25)
OK, it hasn’t exactly been Bouchard’s season: She’s gone 8-14 since the Australian Open in January, she fired coach Sam Sumyk after a six-month stint, she’s struggled with an abdomen injury since June, and she’s had a few memorable meltdowns on the court. It’s painful to witness because we’ve seen Bouchard at her best and this just isn’t it.
Bouchard showed the world what she’s capable of last season when she broke into the WTA top 10 following an impressive showing at Wimbledon (she fell to Petra Kvitova in the final). The Rogers Cup is a great opportunity to get back on track, but with a season full of upheaval, it remains to be seen if 21-year-old Bouchard will put the pieces in place.
Her first-round opponent, Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, also had a tough start to her season, losing handily at Sydney, the Australian Open, Antwerp and DOHA. But she finds her season on the upswing, having won 15 of her last 19 matches and winning on the grass at Eastbourne. Bencic is currently five spots ahead of Bouchard in the WTA singles ranking.
Bouchard is scheduled to take on Bencic on Centre Court after 7 p.m.
FRANÇOIS ABANDA (SR 315)
Haven’t heard of Abanda yet? It’s time to get on board. A product of Tennis Canada’s National Training Centre, the 18-year-old Abanda had tremendous success as a junior, held her own against Venus Williams in a match last season, and became the youngest Canadian ever to reach the main draw at the U.S. Open last August. She may be new to the pro scene, but Abanda is just warming up.
Facing off against Germany’s Andrea Petkovic, though, will be no walk in the park. The 27-year-old veteran is competing in her 10th WTA season. Petkovic broke the top 10 in 2011, fell below the top 100 due to injury in 2012, and has been clawing her way back to the top ever since. This year has been decent for Petkovic; she won at Antwerp, made the quarterfinals at Eastbourne and the semis at Miami and Charleston. She’s currently ranked 16.
Abanda will have her work cut out for her as she makes her Rogers Cup debut at the Grandstand after 6 p.m.
MILOS RAONIC (SR 10)
The fact that Raonic hasn’t played in over a month due to a pinched nerve in his foot does little to inspire confidence as he takes a bye in the first round and moves on to face Ivo Karlovic, ranked 23, in the second. Prior to being sidelined, Raonic went 25-11. He hasn’t stepped foot on the court since Wimbledon, but Raonic loves the hard court almost as much as he loves playing at home; the combination could make for a victorious return.
Both players are known for their heavy serves and accumulation of aces. Raonic has 4,314 aces in his career, while Croatia’s Karlovic has an astounding 9,964, the second highest all-time behind Goran Ivanisevic (10,183 aces in 895 matches). Raonic clocked his fastest serve at the Rogers Cup in 2012 (249.9 km/h), breaking into the top-five fastest of all time. With a top serve speed of 251 km/h (from the 2011 Davis Cup), Karlovic just edges Raonic out. Karlovic has gone 26-16 this season, remaining healthy throughout, and brought home his sixth ATP title at Delray Beach.
On a good day, Raonic can take Karlovic to school, and hopefully today is one of those days. The men will play on Court Central after 6:30 p.m.
More Canadian singles playing today:
Vasek Pospisil vs. Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE)
Frank Dancevic vs. Pablo Andujar (ESP)
Carol Zhao vs. Madison Brengle (USA)
Also, don’t miss:
Serena Williams (USA) vs. Flavia Pennetta (ITA)
