After an eventful opening day at the National Bank Open — Leylah Fernandez won her opener in three sets, the incomparable Serena Williams won for the first time in a year, and Denis Shapovalov’s match was suspended due to rain — the action continues on Day 2.
Here’s a look at the most compelling matches in store on Tuesday for the women in Toronto and the men in Montreal.
Women’s headliner
Bianca Andreescu (Canada) vs. No. 11 Daria Kasatkina (Russia), not before 7 pm ET (all times listed are local ET).
Andreescu won this tournament three years ago before going on to win the 2019 US Open during an absolute crackerjack of a breakout year. She’ll get her 2022 tournament going against a tough opponent in Kasatkina, the world No. 9, to open the evening draw in Toronto.
The 22-year-old Andreescu, from nearby Mississauga, Ont., battled through back pain last week in a first-round loss to American Shelby Rogers, but she told Sportsnet’s Carly Agro that she’s feeling 100 per cent and ready to go this week.
Andreescu was ranked as high as No. 4 in the world, and she’s now No. 53 and in the midst of a comeback. A lengthy layoff in 2020 and 2021 saw her recover from a knee injury, a bout of COVID and then opt to take a mental break from the sport.
Toronto is special to Andreescu, who grew up playing on these courts and is an absolute fan favourite.
Men’s headliner
Denis Shapovalov (Canada) vs. Alex de Minaur (Australia), third in the early draw.
The action in Montreal kicks off at 11 a.m., and the third match of the day will see Shapovalov and de Minaur return to centre court after rain forced the suspension of their match on Day 1. This one is awfully close between the world’s No. 22-ranked Shapovalov and de Minaur, who’s ranked No. 21.
Shapovalov is down a set and tied at 6-6 in the second.
Other highlights
Rebecca Marino (Canada) vs. Qinwen Zheng (China), 11 am ET.
Marino, a Toronto native, is coming off a quarter-final finish at the Citi Open last week, where she beat Venus Williams and moved inside the world’s Top 100 ranking. She’ll open Day 2 action in Toronto on centre court.
Another couple of Canadians in action you won’t want to miss: The Fernandez sisters, Bianca and Leylah, are playing doubles on Court 1 in the morning draw (they’re third up in the draw that gets going at 11 a.m.), against Kirsten Flipkens and Sara Sorribes Tormo.
Emma Raducanu (Great Britain) vs. Camila Giorgi (Italy), second match of the day
Just after Marino wraps up her opener, another Toronto-born player will take to centre court. Raducanu, the reigning US Open champion who spent the first two years of her life in Canada, is making her debut at the National Bank Open. No doubt many Canadian tennis fans are familiar with the 19-year-old, who beat Fernandez in the all-teenager US Open final last year.
Vasek Pospisil (Canada) vs. Tommy Paul (United States), 11 a.m. ET.
Pospisil is a wild card here, and this marks the 14th time we’ll see the B.C.-born veteran at this tournament. He’s in tough against Paul, who’s ranked 34th in the world. Pospisil is 147th, but he’ll no doubt have the crowd on his side.
Andy Murray (Great Britain) vs. Taylor Fritz (United States), not before 6:30 p.m. ET.
Murray, the former world No. 1, is a three-time National Bank Open champion. The veteran will face a rising star in Fritz, the 25-year-old who cracked his first major quarter-final at Wimbledon, and won his first Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells back in March.
Full women’s schedule in Toronto
Centre court, starting at 11 a.m.:
Rebecca Marino (Canada) vs. Qinwen Zheng
Camila Giorgi vs. Emma Raducanu
Kaia Kanepi vs. Naomi Osaka
Not before 7 p.m.:
Daria Kasatkina vs. Bianca Andreescu (Canada)
Maria Sakkari vs. Sloane Stephens
Grandstand, starting at 11 a.m.:
Madison Brengle vs. Coco Gauff
Veronika Kudermatova vs. Ajla Tomljanovic
Amanda Anisimova vs. Carol Zhau (Canada)
Not before 5 p.m.:
Belinda Bencic vs. Tereza Martincova
Court 1, starting at 11 a.m.:
Sara Sorribes Tormo vs. Claire Liu
Shuai Zhang vs. Cristina Bucsa
Kirsten Flipkens and Sara Sorribes Tormo vs. Bianca Fernandez (Canada) and Leylah Fernandez (Canada)
Marie Bouzkova and Laura Siegemund vs. Nadiia Kichenok and Tereza Mihalikova
Court 4, starting at 11 a.m.:
Anna Bondar vs. Elise Mertens
Beatriz Haddad Maia and Barbora Krejcikova vs. Kaitlyn Christian and Oksana Kalashnikova
Madison Keys and Sania Mirza vs. Alize Cornet and Jil Teichmann
Alicja Rosolska and Erin Routliffe vs. Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez
Court 3, starting at 11 a.m.:
Eri Hozumi and Makoto Nimomiya vs. Vivian Heisen and Monica Niculescu
Ulrikke Eikeri and Catherine Harrison vs. Lyudmyla Kichenok and Jelena Ostapenko
Asia Muhammad and Ena Shibahara vs. Kayla Cross (Canadian) and Victoria Mboko (Canada)
Anna Bondar and Kimberley Zimmermann vs. Sofia Kenin and Yulia Putintseva
Full men’s schedule in Montreal
Centre Court, starting at 11 a.m.:
Vasek Pospisil (Canada) vs. Tommy Paul
Alexis Galarneau (Canada) vs. Grigor Dimitrov
Alex de Minaur vs. Denis Shaovalov (Canada)
Sebastian Baez vs. Nick Kyrgios
Not before 6:30 p.m.:
Andy Murray vs. Taylor Fritz
Emil Ruusuvuori vs. Hubert Hurkacz
Court Rogers, starting at 11 a.m.:
Pablo Carreno Busta vs. Matteo Berrettini
Gael Monfils vs. Pedro Martinez
Robert Bautista Agut vs. Marcos Giron
Cameron Norrie vs. Brandon Nakashima
Not before 6:30 p.m.:
Diego Schwartzman vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies vs. Lukasz Kubot and Stan Wawrinka
Court 9, starting at 11 a.m.:
Marin Cilic vs. Borna Coric
Adrian Mannarino vs. Arthur Rinderknech
Jack Draper vs. Hugo Gaston
Frances Tiafoe vs. Benjamin Bonzi
Miomir vs. Botic van de Zandschulp
Karen Khachanov and Denis Shapovalov (Canada) vs. Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop
Court 5, starting at 11 a.m.:
Asian Karatsev vs. Maxime Cressy
Filip Krajinovic vs. Daniel Evans
Fabio Fognini vs. Holger Rune
Benoit Paire vs. Yoshito Nishioka
David Goffin vs. Albert Ramos-Vinolas
Grigor Dimitrov and Andrey Rublev vs. Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell
Sportsnet coverage gets underway at 11 a.m.
