MONTREAL – First thing’s first: Jesse Levine isn’t making any excuses for the 6-2, 6-0 pounding Rafael Nadal put on him in the third round of the Rogers Cup Wednesday.
But following the matinee, where he double faulted nine times, the Ottawa native revealed an elbow issue has been bothering him for the last two months.
Results & Order of Play: Men (Montreal) | Women (Toronto)
Levine began to feel pain at a Wimbledon tune-up tournament at the Queen’s Club in London during a match with Santiago Giraldo. He skipped the next grass court event in Eastbourne, and has been dealing with it ever since.
“I only feel it on serve, and it really affects my serve,” Levine said after the loss to Nadal. “The doctors tell me it’s golfer’s elbow.Whatever it is, there’s pain.”
Levine was clear that his elbow problem wasn’t why Nadal handled him with ease on Centre Court.
“Once he gets you under wrap, you’re in trouble,” Levine said.
Levine was able to get by Xavier Malisse in his opening match before a partisan Montreal crowd, eager to watch the latest member of the country’s Davis Cup team in his first Rogers Cup as a Canadian. At the start of the year, Levine, who was born and raised in Ottawa, decided to return to play internationally for Canada, after spending a decade as an American.
When Levine was a teenager, his family moved to Florida. Younger brother Daniel suffers from ulcerative colitis, and doctors told the Levine’s that the warmer weather would help his condition. Jesse played in the U.S. as a junior, then at the University of Florida and in his first few years as a pro.
Levine will skip the qualification round of next week’s ATP Masters 1000 series stop in Cincinnati, hoping some rest and treatment on the elbow will help him as he prepares for the U.S. Open in New York at the end of the month.
This is his first trip to Flushing Meadows since officially leaving the United States Tennis Association, to return to his home country.
He’s not entirely sure what the reception will be at the U.S. Open, but is expecting the full gamut.
“I’ll be wearing my helmet out there, waiting for bottles to be thrown at me,” smirked Levine, joking it would be an Ottawa Rough Riders’ lid he’d have on.
“Once people (in the U.S.) realized I was born in Ottawa, and lived there until I was 14, they were like ‘Oh, okay.’”
Levine is presently ranked No. 132 on tour, and expected to be part of the Canadian contingent headed to Serbia for next month’s Davis Cup World Group semi-final in Belgrade.
