Simona Halep victorious at Rogers Cup in Montreal

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World No.1 Simona Halep needed over two-and-a-half hours of bruising baseline tennis to overcome No.3 seed Sloane Stephens in the Rogers Cup final and win her third title of the year.

MONTREAL, Canada -- After a bruising baseline battle with numerous twists and turns, World No.1 Simona Halep of Romania claimed her third title of the year at the Rogers Cup on Sunday, outlasting No.3 seed Sloane Stephens of the United States, 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-4.

The rematch of the 2018 Roland Garros final between two of the reigning Grand Slam champions lived up to expectations, as Roland Garros titlist winner Halep fended off four set points to claim the opening set, before emerging victorious over reigning US Open champion Stephens in a tense final set after two hours and 41 minutes of play.

Both players exhibited a stunning combination of outstanding defense and agile attacking from all sections of the court, and they each won over three-quarters of points on their opponent's second serves. But it was Halep who held on down the stretch, garnering a crucial break at 5-2 in the third and withstanding a fiery fightback by Stephens to get over the finish line on her fourth championship point.

Therefore, Halep claimed the Rogers Cup title for the second time -- she won the event the most recent time it was played in Montreal, in 2016 -- and a third singles title of the season after winning at Shenzhen in January and clinching her maiden Grand Slam title in Paris in June.

After a routine hold by Stephens, Halep went on a tear to open the match, cruising through the opening stages due to deep hitting and powerful forehands, many down the line. After breaking Stephens for a 2-1 lead, the World No.1 held for 3-1 from break point down, closing out the game with an ace.

Another impressive game by Halep occurred on the following Stephens service game: a strong forehand forced a netted error by Stephens to bring up break point, which the Romanian converted with a forehand winner down the line. At this point, Halep had picked up four games in a row en route to a 4-1 lead.

But Stephens rediscovered her aggression while the forehand of Halep began to falter. After Halep fired a forehand miscue on a point that would have given her 5-1, the American took one break back for 4-2 with a crosscourt return winner, and leveled the set at 4-4 by swiftly breaking Halep for a second successive time.

The rallies became more grueling as Halep broke Stephens with a crosscourt winner to take a 5-4 lead and serve for the set. But Stephens was unbowed, breaking Halep for a third straight time with a scintillating forehand winner. The American then held two set points on Halep’s serve at 6-5, but a crosscourt backhand saved one, and Stephens netted a return on the second.

hey advanced to the tiebreak, where numerous forehand errors by Halep gave Stephens a commanding 4-0 lead, and the Romanian double faulted to put Stephens up 5-1 at the change of ends. But Stephens fired groundstrokes long on both of her service points at 5-2, putting Halep back on serve in the tiebreak.

Another Halep double fault gave Stephens two more set points at 6-4, but Halep saved the first with a stunning crosscourt angled forehand that barely clipped the sideline, and Stephens pushed a forehand into the net to make it 6-6. On the next point, Halep crushed a backhand down the line to hold her first set point, which she converted to claim an intense opening set.

But Stephens was unbothered by the loss of the first set, and after an exchange of breaks to start the second set, the reigning US Open champion claimed a decisive break lead at 2-1 following a Halep double fault while down break point.

The American staved off two break points at 3-2 behind extravagant hitting from her forehand wing, and held for 4-2 at a pivotal juncture. Halep served to stay in the set at 5-3, often deploying a drop shot to generally favorable results as she erased three set points. But Stephens reached a fourth set point, and broke Halep for the set after a backhand by the Romanian went wide.

Halep came out swinging in the decider, using stellar defense to chase down everything Stephens threw at her, and breaking to start the third set. But Stephens rebounded to break back for 2-2 after a scorching forehand winner.

However, Halep claimed a pivotal game when she erased a 40-0 lead for Stephens to break for 3-2 in the following game, as the American fired five consecutive unforced errors. Halep stayed consistent, keeping the rallies long, and raced to a 5-2, double-break lead, as the Stephens miscues mounted.

The No.3 seed put up a valiant effort to stay in the encounter after Halep squandered her first match point at 5-2 with a double fault. The Romanian fired two errors on the next two points to drop serve, and then could not convert either of two championship points on the Stephens serve, the American saving the final chance with a winning volley en route to a hold for 5-4.

Halep, though, would not be denied, using some of her most powerful serving and hitting at the very end of the match, setting up two more championship points after Stephens returned a strong serve wide. Finally, on her fourth match point, Halep slammed her third ace of the match, and fell to her knees in triumph and exhaustion after a grueling fight.

wtatennis.com


I still don't know how Simona pulled this one off. One of the best women's matches and finals I've seen in a while while.

There's a great rivalry building between these 2. It would certainly be something if they met again in the final of the U.S. Open in September.


Well done to both ladies for an amazing battle of wills, and to Simona for continuing to prove she is and always will be the consummate fighter on the WTA tour (she somehow managed to win 2 matches in one day after a 3 hour battle for a place int the quarters).


Congrats on your 2nd Rogers Cup Simona, Montreal is definitely your city :).

Roger Federer (unsurprisingly) withdrawals from Rogers Cup

Roger Federer has announced his withdrawal from the Rogers Cup. The Swiss is a two-time champion at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, which alternates between Toronto and Montreal. He reached the final on his last visit to Toronto in 2014 (l. to Tsonga), and was also a runner-up last year in Montreal (l. to Zverev).

"I'm so disappointed not to play at the Rogers Cup this summer,” said Federer. “I had a fantastic time in Montreal last year and always enjoy playing in front of the Canadian fans, but unfortunately with scheduling being the key to my longevity moving forward, I have regrettably decided to withdraw from Toronto this year. I wish the tournament every success and am sorry to miss it."

Federer, whose 37th birthday falls during the Rogers Cup, has won three titles from seven tournament appearances this season. Two weeks ago at Wimbledon, he bowed out in the quarter-finals, falling to Kevin Anderson in a 13-11 fifth set.

The World No. 2 is next scheduled to play at the Western & Southern Open, a Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati, where he has won a tournament-record seven titles. Federer missed the tournament last year due to a back injury.

World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray – winners of a combined 10 titles in Canada – will feature in a Rogers Cup field that includes 19 of the Top 20 players in the ATP Rankings. German Alexander Zverev, 21, will attempt to successfully defend his title, while Milos Raonic and #NextGenATP star Denis Shapovalov lead the Canadian charge.

“We are excited to have nine of the Top 10 on the ATP World Tour at the Rogers Cup, but it’s unfortunate that we won’t have Roger in Toronto this summer,” said Tournament Director Karl Hale. “With current World No. 1 Rafael Nadal, Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic plus Toronto’s hometown heroes in Milos and Denis legitimate title threats, this year’s entry list is one of the most exciting in recent memory. With the improvements we have made around the site and the festival of events we have planned, fans are in for a real treat.”

atpworldtour.com

Roger Federer into the final of Rogers Cup in Montreal

menstennisforums.com

If Roger Federer was warming up earlier this week in Montreal, the second seed hit a higher gear on Saturday afternoon during his semi-final against Robin Haase at the Coupe Rogers.

The Swiss right-hander struck “Are you kidding?” backhand passes and was untouchable on serve on Court Central. He dropped only nine points on serve (45/54) and hit 28 winners, including nine aces, against Haase, who was playing in his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 semi-final.

But the 30-year-old Dutchman was eager for the fight, pushing Federer to a second-set tie-break before the all-time great advanced 6-3, 7-6(5) to reach the Montreal title match. The 36 year old will be going for his third Canadian Masters 1000 crown (2004, 2006 in Toronto) and his 27th Masters 1000 title.

But he has never won the Canadian Masters in Montreal. If he wins on Sunday, he'll have won a tour-level crown in 31 cities. Federer will meet #NextGenATP German Alexander Zverev or #NextGenATP Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the final, which will be Federer's sxith of the season. He has now won 16 consecutive matches.

The Swiss right-hander owns a 2-1 advantage against Zverev in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, including a 6-1, 6-3 victory in the Gerry Weber Open final in Halle in June. Federer has never faced Shapovalov, who's the youngest Masters 1000 semi-finalist (since 1990).

Earlier in the week, Federer talked about struggling to implement his aggressive game plan. In the third round, he dropped the opening set against Spaniard David Ferrer, a player he's now beaten 17 consecutive times.

But Federer was sharp from the start against Haase, breaking twice for a 3-1 lead. He served out the set to 15.

Haase, though, who's hitting top form after battling injuries for years, refused to back down. The right-hander tidied up his service games, striking eight aces and never facing a break point in the second set. But Federer found his way through the tie-break, advancing to the his third Masters 1000 final of the season when Haase lifted a forehand long.

Next week at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, Federer will go head-to-head with rival Rafael Nadal to see which player will replace Andy Murray as World No. 1 on August 21.

atpworldtour.com

That's more like it, now take it to another level for the title tomorrow Rog!. 

Also not a fan of the 5 o'clock shadow. Hope he gets rid of it for Cincy next week. 

Roger Federer Assesses QF Win Montreal 2017

Roger Federer stays on course moves into semis at Rogers Cup in Montreal

menstennisforums.com

Roger Federer remains on course to lift his 27th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title and put pressure on Rafael Nadal in the two-man battle to replace Andy Murray at No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.

Bidding to capture his first trophy in Montreal – and his third overall in Canada – Federer produced a spellbinding blend of power and finesse to outclass No. 12 seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4 in 68 minutes on Friday afternoon at the Coupe Rogers. It was his seventh straight win over the Spaniard and Federer is now 34-2 on the season, which includes an ATP World Tour-high five titles.

“It pays off playing aggressively here in Montreal, plus I feel comfortable at net, so why not spend some time there instead of slugging it out from the baseline,” Federer, who won 21 of 25 points at the net, told Brad Gilbert of ESPN after the match. “I think I did a good job again, even though it was tough to control the ball. I got some decent rhythm going.

“Yesterday, I struggled against [David] Ferrer early on, so today was better. I was more committed and a step further in, adjusting my position slightly realising the ball does fly a lot."

The second seed and 2004, 2006 champion (in Toronto) will now challenge Dutchman Robin Haase, who will appear in his first Masters 1000 semi-final on Saturday, for only the second time. The pair met in a Davis Cup World Group play-off in 2012 with Federer winning the rubber 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.

Bautista Agut held firm through the first eight games, effective on serve and also in keeping his position on the baseline. However, the pressure began to tell and the Spaniard faltered on first serve in the ninth game of the first set. Federer surprised Bautista Agut with changes in pace, angle and net rushes, breaking to 15 when his opponent struck his first double fault.

Federer and Bautista Agut exchanged service breaks at the start of the second set. But it was Federer, quick to attack the net off his powerful forehands, who seized control and moved Bautista Agut out of his comfort zone at the baseline.

“I wanted to play a great tournament, and I think I did a good week,” said Bautista Agut. “Today, I felt that I didn’t get into the rhythm of the match and I didn’t feel the ball well. Roger plays very fast and he didn’t want to rally with me, so he went for his shots. To be in the quarter-finals here in Montreal is a very good result for me, also getting hard-court matches under my belt.”

The 36-year-old Federer has not ranked as the World No. 1 since 4 November 2012. With no Emirates ATP Rankings points to defend in the rest of the 2017 season, the Swiss superstar could potentially add to his 302 weeks at the pinnacle of men’s professional tennis as early as 21 August.

“I obviously follow it, because Rafa had an opportunity to get to No. 1 this week," Federer told ESPN television. "I thought it would take a few months to get my teeth into it, but now Rafa is out I obviously know I can make big strides. It’s all connected by great play, but I have to focus on the next match against Haase.”


atpworldtour.com


Better match today, but his first serve really needs to comeback. Below 50 % today for Roger that's just unheard of.

If he does end up having to face Zvarev in the final he may not be able to win without his serve.

Hopefully he can get the feel of the hard court just in time for Cincy and the U.S. Open.

Roger Federer struggles but enters the quarters of Rogers Cup in Montreal

Roger Federer Tumblr 

Tested early and often, Roger Federer overcame a formidable performance from David Ferrer to advance to the Coupe Rogers quarter-finals on Thursday. Federer prevailed 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in one hour and 57 minutes.

The Swiss kept his bid alive for a first title in Montreal, improving his 2017 hard-court record to 21-1 and bumping his overall win streak to 14 straight. Meeting for the first time in three years, Federer extended his impressive FedEx ATP Head2Head advantage over Ferrer to 17-0.

Ferrer was on the front foot throughout the opener and he would halt Federer's dominant sets-won streak at 32. The ruthless run began in the first round of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle and included his title at Wimbledon and straight-set win over Peter Polansky on Wednesday.

Striking his forehand with great depth and relying on an efficient first serve, Ferrer was unflappable in closing out the 43-minute opener. The Spaniard, who is in top form after claiming his 27th ATP World Tour title two weeks ago in Bastad, struck a deep, penetrating return to snatch the initial break for 3-1. Serving for the first set at 5-4, he would fire a return at Federer's feet, which the Swiss hit into the net. The second seed struck an uncharacteristic 19 unforced errors in the first set, but the tide would take an abrupt turn in the second. After exchanging early breaks, Federer rediscovered his groove, surging ahead with another break in the fifth game.

Federer's Most Dominant Rivalries

Opponent FedEx ATP Head2Head

David Ferrer

Federer 17-0

Mikhail Youzhny

Federer 16-0

Jarkko Nieminen

Federer 15-0

Feliciano Lopez

Federer 12-0

Philipp Kohlschreiber

Federer 11-0



Coming forward more often and playing more aggressive, vintage Federer tennis, the Swiss would turn aside a set point at 5-3 and force a decider in the next game. He would pull away from then on, breaking twice in the third and closing out a spot in the quarter-finals with a volley winner on his first match point.

A two-time champion at the Canadian ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event (2004 & '06 in Toronto), Federer advanced to the quarter-finals in Montreal for the first time since 2009. He will next face Roberto Bautista Agut, after the 12th seed edged Gael Monfils 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(2) earlier on Thursday. Federer owns a 6-0 edge in their FedEd ATP Head2Head, most recently prevailing at the Masters 1000 event in Miami earlier this year.

atpworldtour.com

Let's be honest here this was Roger on his off day, his service percentage was well below what it usually is which is why he even lost that first set in the first place. 

Hopefully, this was a one off sub par performance, and it'll be back to business as usual in the next round. 

Roger Federer back to winning on hard courts and the last 16 in Montreal

Roger Federer tumblr

Roger Federer eased back into action for the first time since winning his eighth Wimbledon title last month as he claimed victory at the Canadian Masters in Montreal.


Federer, who celebrated his 36th birthday on Tuesday, was not unduly detained by Canada's world number 116 Peter Polansky, winning 6-2 6-1 in 53 minutes.


The Swiss star is seeking his third career title at the tournament, which he last won in 2006 although he has since been a beaten finalist three times.

He could not have made a more comfortable start against the overwhelmed Polansky, whom he broke at the first attempt as he established a 3-0 lead.

Barely threatened on his own serve, Federer took advantage of his second break point to break Polansky once again and take the opener.

Polansky would waste two break points on the Federer serve in the second set but it was academic as the Canadian was broken twice himself to complete the rout.

eurosport.com

Roger Federer Hopes To Claim First Title In Montreal 2017

Roger Federer, Montreal has a special place in his heart

For Roger Federer, who is playing here for the first time since 2011, there is no one particular memory of Rogers Cup in Montréal that stands out.

By his own admission, his best performances did not come here. He lost in the third round in 2011, the quarterfinals in 2009 and the final in 2007.

But there is one event that Federer will always associate with Rogers Cup in Montréal for the rest of his life: the birth of his first children.

“Before 2010, I remember the Djokovic match [2007 final], a couple of other matches but, for the rest, it’s a bit of a blur to be honest,” he says. “The most important one was when I came in 2009. My girls were two weeks old. It was our first trip. We just got the passports and travelled here. I remember we had an unbelievable time. I was trying to be a dad for the first time, was all out of control in the nicest possible way and it was here in Montréal. So forever, Montréal will be special to me. This year, I’m here without the family so it’ll be a bit more quiet. I’m going to try and focus on playing and resting and sleeping while I can before I see them all again next week.”

This year, the 35-year-old (Federer turns 36 on Tuesday) elected to skip the clay events to focus on his grass court prep. The decision paid off when he won the title in Halle and then went on to lift his eighth Wimbledon cup.

For over a year, Federer has been increasingly selective when choosing the tournaments he competes in. So why Montréal after a six-year absence? “I think I made up my mind about six days ago,” he explained. “I wanted to keep the door open and see at the last minute how I felt after my holidays. When I started training again and saw that I was in good shape, it didn’t take me too much time to find my rhythm. I always want to play more during the second half of the season. I also think that the first six months of the year were positive because I wasn’t injured, I’m in good health and I didn’t spend too much energy even though I played a lot of matches. So I figured that I had trained enough in the past year and that if I was feeling healthy, I would rather play matches than train.”

At today’s media gathering, an Italian journalist raised an interesting detail that local reporters were not aware of: at the 2015 Masters 1000 in Rome, Federer revealed on Italian television that after Centre Court at the All England Club, Uniprix Stadium was his favourite venue in the world. Quite a compliment coming from one of the greatest grass court players of all time.

“What I see here is a soul in the tournament,” he said. “I see a soul on Centre Court. I know the stadium has been around for a while and I like that. The fact that it’s not totally symmetrical as well makes it unique because all the courts are usually either a box or a circle, all the same. I feel like this one is not and I like that. I think the crowds are always good, it’s pretty full all the time. They have day and night sessions too, which is pretty nice, and I think you can sense great energy here in town in Montréal. They’re very excited that tennis is back, they only have this one tournament a year and I feel like the fans make the most of it. I feel it’s a great center court. That’s why I hope to stick around for a bit.”

couperogers.com

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal top 2 seeds at Rogers Cup Montreal

In a sight that many tennis fans wouldn’t have expected at the start of the season, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are once again the top seeds at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event as the Coupe Rogers kicks off next week in Montreal. It marks the first time since 2009 that Federer and Nadal have held the top two spots in Canada.

Federer and Nadal have won four of the five ATP World Tour Masters 1000 events held this year. The Swiss star won both hard-court events in Indian Wells and Miami, while Nadal prevailed in Monte-Carlo and Madrid.

Should Nadal reach the semi-finals in Montreal, he will unseat Andy Murray for the top spot in the Emirates ATP Rankings. Winning the title on Sunday would also have the Spaniard break a tie with Novak Djokovic and set a new record for most ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles won (31). Federer won't be able to take No. 1 this week, but he could take it later during this American hard-court swing as he and Nadal are in a hot two-way battle for year-end No. 1 honours.

Second seed Federer looks to build on his second Grand Slam title of the year at Wimbledon by winning his first title in Canada since 2006. Federer, who has a first-round bye, is guaranteed to open his week against a Canadian when he plays the winner between wild cards Vasek Pospisil and Peter Polansky. Looming ahead is a possible third-round clash with 15th seed Jack Sock and quarter-final battle with fifth seed and 2016 runner-up Kei Nishikori.

Federer leads his FedEx ATP Head2Head with Nishikori 5-2 and has won their past four matches, including a five-set win this year in the fourth round of the Australian Open. He also leads the rivalry with Sock 3-0 and has yet to drop a set to the American, including in their most recent match this March at the BNP Paribas Open.

Meanwhile, top seed Nadal has a bye in the opening round and will start his campaign against Borna Coric or a qualifier/lucky loser. His draw doesn’t get easier from there, with other potential roadblacks including red-hot 14th seed John Isner or Juan Martin del Potro in the third round and home favourite Milos Raonic, seeded sixth, in the quarter-finals.

If Federer and Nadal make it to the final, it would be their first meeting in Canada. Nadal leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry 23-14, but Federer has won their past four matches and all three encounters in 2017. Nadal leads 12-6 in their ATP World Tour Masters 1000 matches.

Third seed Thiem is in the same half of the draw as Federer and kicks off his Montreal quest against Diego Schwartzman or a qualifier/lucky loser. The Austrian will be eager to rebound after squandering a match point this week in his third-round loss to Kevin Anderson at the Citi Open.

Fourth seed Alexander Zverev is in the same half of the draw as Nadal and starts out against local wild card Brayden Schnur or Richard Gasquet. The 20-year-old German clinched his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown this May in Rome (d. Djokovic).

The most intriguing first-round match will be between Isner and del Potro, with the American riding an eight-match win streak after back-to-back titles this past month in Newport and Atlanta. Other notable first-round matches include Gilles Muller taking on Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson facing Gael Monfils.

atpworldtour.com

Roger Federer headed to Montreal for Roger's Cup

The next chapter of Roger Federer's remarkable renaissance will take place in Montreal next week, after the Swiss confirmed that he will play the Rogers Cup, which begins on Monday.

Federer has not been to Montreal since 2011, and missed last year's Rogers Cup - a Masters 1000 event that alternates between the Canadian cities of Montreal and Toronto - with injury.

After a six-month absence in the second half of 2016, Federer has enjoyed a stellar year - winning two grand slams, five titles and losing just two matches.

telegraph.co.uk

Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza fall short at Rogers Cup once more

World No.1 duo of Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis exited the Rogers Cup on Saturday after losing to the unseeded American duo of Christina McHale and Asia Muhammad in the quarter-final in Montreal. The Indo-Swiss pair lost the match 4-6, 3-6 in 70 minutes to exit the tournament.


After crashing out in the quarter-final of the Wimbledon earlier this month, Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis’ poor run continued as they once again failed to make it into the last four. The top-seeded pair had started the Rogers Cup on a positive note by defeating trans-Atlantic opponents Naomi Broady and Shelby Rogers in the second round yesterday. However, the clash against the unseeded American duo of Christina McHale and Asia Muhammad proved to be a different challenge.

The World No.1 pair, who made it to the semi-final in the last edition, struggled with their serves and committed six double faults in the match. Although they managed to win 67% of the first serve points, they struggled with their second serves and won only 21%.

Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis started the match on the worst possible note and surrendered their serve to McHale and Muhammad. The top seeds, then failed to break the serve of their opponents and lost the first set 4-6. The second set was almost a similar story as the first. Instead of the first game, Sania and Hingis lost the third game this time. They had the chance to break McHale and Muhammad six times in the set, but failed to convert any of those break points, before surrendering the last game to lose the set 3-6.

sportscafe.in

Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza start off hard court season with a win in Montreal at Rogers Cup

Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis made short work of their trans-atlantic opponents Naomi Broady and Shelby Rogers in the second round of the Rogers Cup. The top seeds hardly broke a sweat as they swept aside the challenge with an identical 6-1, 6-1 margin to enter the quarters.

Sania and Hingis have not had a great month which assumes importance with the Olympics looming a week ahead. The defending champions crashed out in the quarter-finals of the Wimbledon losing to Timea Babos-Yaroslava Shvedova and would be looking to go into the quadrennial event on a high with a win at the Rogers Cup.

The pair made a good start to their hopes with an emphatic win over Brit Naomi Brady and USA's Shelby Rogers in just under 44 minutes in the second round. Although they were not at their best committing 4 double faults, SanTina proved to be the better on the day.

The pair will face the American duo of Christina Mchale and Asia Muhammad in the quarterfinal today.

sportscafe.in

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal & Andy Murray withdraw from Roger's Cup in Toronto

TORONTO — Tennis stars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have pulled out of the Rogers Cup, leaving the Toronto tournament without three of the world’s top four men’s tennis players.

Tennis Canada announced the withdrawals on Tuesday, a day after Wimbledon champion and world No. 2 Andy Murray said he would not defend his Rogers Cup title this year.

World No. 3 Federer is coming off a run to the semifinals at Wimbledon, where he lost in five sets to Canada’s Milos Raonic.

"I have made the tough decision to withdraw from Rogers Cup," Federer said in a statement. "Toronto is one of my favourite events on the calendar and I am disappointed that I won’t be able to compete in front of the great tennis fans in Canada.

"Looking ahead, it is best for me that I take more time after Wimbledon. I look forward to coming back to Canada next year and I wish Karl Hale and everyone at Tennis Canada a very successful tournament."

Fourth-ranked Nadal has not played since withdrawing from the French Open after sustaining a wrist injury.

"I am disappointed to announce I won’t be able to come to Toronto to play this year," Nadal said in a release. "I only started practising a week ago after my wrist injury and I am not ready to play such an important event.

"I am very much looking forward to playing in Toronto in a couple of years since I have always been treated great in that tournament and have a lot of great Canadian fans."

Top seed Novak Djokovic is still slated to compete, along with No. 7 Raonic, who is coming off his first Grand Slam final appearance at Wimbledon.

Vancouver’s Vasek Pospisil will now gain direct entry into the main draw instead of using the wild card position he was initially granted.

sportsnet.ca

Can't say I'm shocked, they all want to save their energy for Rio and the U.S. Open

Tony Godsick: Roger's knee is fine, ready for Roger's Cup in Toronto

Roger Federer's knee is fine and ready to take on the physicality that awaits it when the Swiss Maestro competes at the Rogers Cup on July 25.


Federer suffered a scare during the final set of his five-setter semifinal loss against Canada's Milos Raonic at Wimbledon. The 17-time Grand Slam winner took a slip and hurt his surgically-repaired knee during the match, immediately raising concerns over another setback that could hinder Federer to regain his winning momentum.


But according to Federer's agent Tony Godsick, there are not much to worry about Federer's physical condition after "preliminary examinations" have not indicated any damage to the Swiss' Knee.

@rogerfederer agent Tony Godsick about his knee: "Roger will have tests this week but a preliminary examination indicates that he did (...)

not do any additional damage to his left knee during yesterday's match."

Federer suffered a knee injury a day after losing to career rival Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open earlier this year, which forced the 34-year-old to be sidelined from the tennis scene for more than two months. While Federer successfully recovered from a surgery that repaired a torn left meniscus, he has hardly played his pre-injury form, resulting to zero titles mid-way through the season, a first in Federer's illustrious career.


At the Rogers Cup in Toronto, Canada, former two-time champion Federer gets another chance to test his game before setting his sights on winning the 2016 Rio Olympics and the US Open, which are both scheduled to take place next month.


It remains to be seen if the injury scare at Wimbledon would have an effect in Federer's remaining competition this season, but many, including Federer himself, hope it won't be another setback that could halt the Basel native's growing confidence of playing at a high level.


"With the body that's been, you know, playing up this year, I just hope I'm going to be fine," Federer said regarding his latest injury scare.

yibada.com

Justine Henin talks Serena Williams & WTA at Rogers Cup Hall of Fame Induction in Montreal

Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza fall short at Rogers Cup in Toronto

Martina Hingis Facebook Fanclub

Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis were ousted from the WTA Rogers Cup as the top seeds lost he semifinal in straight sets to Caroline Garcia and Katarina Srebotnik, in Toronto. The Indo-Swiss team lost 3-6 2-6 to fourth seeded opponents in the last-four match of the USD 2,513,000 Premier hard court tournament.


Sania and her Swiss partner broke their rivals twice but lost their serve five times in the match which lasted only 59 minutes. Both the pairs saved four break points each. Sania and Hingis won 41 points to 54 of their rivals. They shared USD 32,520 and earned 350 points each.

india.com

Rogers Cup has a new champion 18 year old Swiss rising star Belinda Bencic!

Belinda Bencic delivered a weekend warrior performance for the ages in Toronto. The 18-year-old Bencic backed up her stunning upset of world No. 1 Serena Williams grinding through scalding heat and scrappy second seeded Simona Halep to capture the second Premier championship of her career today.

Bencic led 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 3-0 when a listless Halep, hampered by a left knee injury, nausea and heat-related illness, retired after two-and-a-half hours in a punishing Rogers Cup final that drove both women to physical and emotional extremes.

It was Bencic's 21st victory in her last 25 matches—a streak that began with her run to the ‘s-Hertogenbosch final in June. The Swiss who exhibits sharp court-sense well beyond her years is the first teenager to rule the Rogers Cup since an 18-year-old Ana Ivanovic raised the title trophy in 2006.

Watch out New York.

Could the projected Serena summer become Belinda's breakthrough season?

The former junior world No. 1 not only upstaged two of the world's top three players in successive grueling three-setters, she held her nerve, managed the court and struck with conviction to hold off comebacks from far more experienced—and seemingly fitter—opponents.

Bencic is projected to rise to a career-high No. 12 when the new WTA rankings are released tomorrow, but she's already performing at a Top 10 level—and making winning a habit.

The 2014 U.S. Open quarterfinalist knocked off four Top 10 players, including former world No. 1s Caroline Wozniacki and Ivanovic, capping a phenomenal week by beating Williams and Halep back-to-back.

Last weekend, Bencic and Kristina Mladenovic won the D.C. doubles title. Last night, she became the youngest player to beat Serena since a 17-year-old Maria Sharapova toppled Williams in the 2004 WTA Championships.

The adrenaline rush of her conquest of the top seed had barely subsided, when Bencic returned to face the speedy Romanian.

Steamy conditions and pressure of a Premier-level final provoked emotional intensity in both women. The second serve is the weakest link of both women's games and both took their cracks at exploiting that vulnerability. They combined for six service breaks in the first set.

In the ninth game, Halep hit a sweeping forehand winner down the line to open a 40-0 lead only to watch it melt away as Bencic answered with a couple of fine running strikes down the line. On the 14th point, Bencic angled off a drop volley, but Halep burst up to the ball quickly and curled a forehand pass crosscourt, holding for 5-4.

The teenager called out her father and traveling coach, Ivan, during the changeover. Wailing in frustration at one point, Bencic used the break as a stress-relief session. Consultation with dad seemed to settle Bencic, who held with a feisty scream and clenched fist for 5-all. Halep held for 6-5 then called the trainer out for treatment on her left knee. She returned with taping above her left knee. When Bencic held to force the tie break point women had won exactly 41 points.

A topsy-turvy tie break saw Halep burst out to a 4-1 lead. Bencic responded with four straight points, including a forehand swing volley winner, and when Halep sprayed a forehand return she gained set point.

Jerking her opponent from right to left, Bencic drew the error snatching a hard-fought 68-minute opening set.

One of Halep's biggest problems in this final was closing games. She often built extensive leads only to see them erode as Bencic worked the corners in running rallies. Halep could not convert a 40-15 lead as Bencic broke to snatch a 2-0 second-set lead. Halep hammered a backhand crosscourt to break right back for 1-2.

Following the third game, a woozy-looking Halep took a medical time-out. WTA trainer Karen Jordan took the Romanian's blood pressure as a grim Halep stared at the court like a woman running on fumes knowing the race was far from over. Play resumed and Bencic broke for 4-2. Wisely working the wide angles to drain the legs of her depleted opponent even more, Bencic dragged Halep wide to the forehand side, often drawing netted replies. 

When Halep swatted a forehand into net, Bencic had her third break of the set. Stepping up to serve for her biggest title, the teenager tightened. Halep broke at love for 4-5 as Romanian fans chanted a familiar refrain: "See - Mo - Na!" "See - Mo - Na!" 

By the time the set escalated into a tie break, Halep was bending over at the waist looking too spent to take another step. Bencic betrayed her cause with her eighth double fault, falling behind 1-3. Four points later, Halep lashed a running forehand strike down the line rousing Romanian fans into action and earning four set points. When Bencic sent a backhand beyond the baseline, both women gulped deep breaths preparing for the decider—before Halep departed for another break.

A thoroughly depleted Halep ended the match slumped in her seat, an ice towel draped around her neck and a vacant look in her eye. That premature ending should not detract from a pulsating Bencic breakthrough week.

Bencic beat all comers, scorching condition and a vocal Halep crowd in raising her 2015 record to 6-1 versus Top 10 opponents while looking like a player whose coming of age tournament could lead to even greater achievement at the season's final major in Flushing Meadows.

tennisnow.com

She thanked Martina Hingis' mom who's her coach, but didn't thank Martina Hingis. 

Oh well, as she said she's not that good at speeches yet.  

Still very gracious & composed though.  

Big things ahead for this teenager.  

It will be interesting to see how she does in Cincinnati this week.

Belinda Bencic stuns Serena Williams to reach Rogers Cup final in Toronto!

It’s become the mantra of playing against Serena Williams, the pre-emptive shoulder-shrug: “I’ve got nothing to lose.”


And then, predictably, they lose.


But nobody would have predicted this.


So long, Serena.


For the first time since 2009, there will be no Ms Williams, S., in Toronto for Sunday’s final of the Rogers Cup, a tour-stop she’s all but owned.


This is a slam-bam shocker, a rift cracking open, zig-zagging across the tennis landscape.


Teenager Belinda Bencic — often gauche, occasionally petulant, not infrequent inflictor of gross bodily harm against tennis racquets — knocked the veteran out of the tournament, out of town, and clear off her perch of invincibility.


With fan-boy-in-chief and longtime family friend Drake looking on morosely, SNAP went Williams’ 14-match win streak in T.O., 3-6, 7-5, 6-4, a confrontation that careered from a zip-blah 33-minute first set to a jaw-dropping comeback second set, to a break-riddled and double-fault littered, yet gutsy third set. Williams reached down in that final set for a fistful of her signature resilience, the no-quit dame we saw at the French Open, while her adversary clung tenaciously to an unsuspected depth of nerve.


Bencic, all of 18 years old, was relentless and merciless, even as she squandered what had seemed like too many opportunities to put Williams away in a third set which the Miss Swiss 2.0 had led 4-0, including a second game where the American had been schneided to love.


“I have nothing to lose,” Bencic had said the previous night, after dumping quarter-final opponent Ana Ivanovic, merely the fifth seed.


Williams, of course, was seeded first here — No. 1 in the world rankings, like forever.


Yet Bencic matched the 33-year-old for power and put immense pressure on Williams’ first serve, which went suddenly and unusually awry, disastrous actually. In the end, not even 16 signature aces could alter the swing of things.


“I cannot believe it now,” a teary and clearly gobsmacked Bencic said, while still on the court and with fireworks exploding overhead.


Turning to her gum-chewing, burst-his-buttons coach-dad: “Thank you for everything. Also to my mom. She is home.”


This as Williams was packing up her dolls and dishes, also the racquet she too had earlier destroyed in a fit of pique, and marching off the court with a wave — index finger extended, as if to remind she’s still the One, still No. 1 — to the crowd.


That audience first pulled for the underdog, the largely unheralded yet hard-charging Bencic from the nation of cuckoo clocks, chocolate, and tennis colossi, and then, as the outcome loomed, returned their affections to Williams. Because nobody likes to see a champion humbled. And there were several passages in this match when the upstart did precisely that to her elder by 15 years.


“Today was not my day,” Williams stated bluntly afterwards. “I think I played really crappy today. I’ll try to be politically correct. And I don’t think you’ll disagree.


“I played like an amateur, to be honest.”


Harsh. But not incorrect, certainly by her own standards, that level of unsurpassed excellence which many had reckoned would bring Williams a fourth Rogers Cup title, en route to the U.S. Open next month and all-but-assumed completion of a calendar Grand Slam — ownership of all four major championships in the same year.


“I was just really struggling with my serve. Everything was off, my toss was off.”


She graciously gave full credit to Bencic — this was only the teen’s second tour title — who she’d earlier this week described as the future of women’s tennis. She didn’t use the heavy tape on her right hand either — sprained fingers, suffered in her quarter-final win over Roberta Vinci — as an excuse. “I can play with swollen fingers. I don’t think it should take away from anybody’s win.”


Serena lifted her head up — unbowed, of course — to heap further praise on the girl who’d vanquished her. “I was proud of her. She did a really good job.”


Bencic’s own head was spinning. “I always told myself, it’s Serena Williams. I’m not going to expect she’s going to hand to me the match. I expect that’s she’s going to put up a great fight.’’


Up or down, hardly ever the latter, Williams remains an unstoppable — if, yes, beatable — force who still defies time and injury and wear, un-waning.


Looking goddess fabulous in the pages of The New Yorker fall fashion issue, whether poured into a curve-hugging sheath or flashing lithe in full frontal splits — thighs that could crack walnuts — or barely clad in maillot with cutout midriff revealing washboard abs. Designer chic, from the tennis fashionista diva (in every age phase of her career) who, with sister Venus, gave us clacking cornrow beads, black lace, rhinestone tiaras and knee-high sneaker boots.


Straight outta Compton. Except — not really. That’s the legend. The reality: Transplanted to the broken-glass littered concrete courts in Compton from the middle-class comfort of Long Beach, California, because dad Richard believed that rough environment would toughen up his girls, daughters conceived to launch a focused assault against the white, rich, privileged tennis establishment.


Well, awesomeness has its privileges too. Among them, an aura of the unconquerable: She who can’t be beaten.


Which probably hasn’t been so great for the sport, where once there had been a group in the top 10 who could always contend, mano-a-mano against Williams. Justine Henin was one of them. “When I was playing, I had the feeling that you were in the last 16 and really everyone could win the tournament. It was a great generation.’’


Now it’s over and over again Serena Williams vs. The World — or . . . fill in the finals blank.


But on this Sunday, Serena Williams’ name will be missing from the proceedings, as Bencic squares off against Romania’s Simona Halep, winner of the other semi yesterday.


Henin, formally inducted into the Rogers Cup Hall of Fame on the weekend, had a decade-plus rivalry with Williams, in another era. She remains in awe of the woman but never in thrall. Today’s women, she suggested, are de facto cowed, cowering across the net from Williams.


“I wish the girls can be more consistent and believe that they can beat Serena, because some players proved in the past that it is possible. I think they don’t believe in it enough. When you want to beat Serena, you need to be at your best all the time. First, you have to believe that you can do it.”


Bencic believed, even if she kept saying she couldn’t believe it.


Funny, in retrospect, that after Halep’s 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Italy’s Sara Errani, much of the press conference questioning focused on her presumed showdown with Williams 24 hours later. No one game more than a passing mention to Bencic, who’d already sent two of the top five seeds packing.


“I just want to believe that I have a chance,” Halep had said. “But I go without pressure. I have nothing to lose, just playing against No. 1 in the world.”


Make that No. 20 in the world.


No. 1 has left the building.

thestar.com

Martina Hingis returns to dominance in doubles

The second act of Martina Hingis’s tennis career began innocently enough: In 2013, some six years after abandoning her second comeback attempt in singles competition, the Swiss star accepted an invitation to play doubles with Daniela Hantuchova at a tournament in Carlsbad, Calif.

Hingis, who once was the youngest women’s singles player in history ever to be ranked No. 1 in the world, had never completely gone away. She nibbled on the edges of the sport during her hiatus, playing a little bit of World TeamTennis, accepting invitations to play in the senior events that accompany the major championships, coaching players such as Sabine Lisicki and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy in France.

Playing that match with Hantuchova two years ago was mostly a lark. But it was months later, while hitting with Pavlyuchenkova and Lisicki, that Hingis – who retired for the first time because of ligament damage to her ankles at the ripe old age of 22 – discovered she was still playing pretty well. It piqued her interest enough to make her want to try the tour one more time.

“I felt physically okay – singles is a different ball game, but [in] doubles I could hold my own,” Hingis explained in an interview Thursday, soon after winning her opening-round match of the Rogers Cup with partner Sania Mirza of India. “Sabine, she just said, ‘Let’s play doubles before my singles.’ I said, ‘Are you crazy?’ But we ended up winning [the 2014 Sony Open in] Miami, and that made me definitely start thinking about my priorities – because you can’t do both, playing and coaching.

“If you watch a singles match for two hours and then have to go play doubles, it’s almost impossible because you leave so much energy out there. Obviously, I made the right decision. It’s fun being your own boss again.”

Hingis and Mirza are seeded first in doubles here, after winning the Wimbledon ladies’ title last month. Hingis also won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title (with India’s Leander Paes), giving her 18 major titles in a career that is meaningfully back on the rails again.

Her partnership with Mirza dates back only as far as March, but they won the first two tournaments they ever played – Indian Wells and Miami – and are currently ranked one-two in the 2015 WTA doubles rankings. With five months to go in the season, they have already qualified for the WTA’s season-ending doubles championships.

In short, though Hingis is playing the game mostly for fun these days, she is also doing what she did a lot of early on, which is to say, winning tournaments.

In their first action at the Rogers Cup, against Julia Goerges of Germany and Klaudia Jans-Ignacik of Poland, Hingis and Mirza advanced to the quarters with an entertaining 6-3, 6-2 victory.

Watching them play, it is easy to see why they make a good team. Mirza hits with a lot of power and screamed off half-a-dozen winners. Hingis’s touch at the net remains unparalleled. Her reflexes appear as sharp as they were when she was routinely winning doubles titles back in the late 1990s, playing with the likes of Jana Novotna and Anna Kournikova.

“Back in the day, we played more doubles,” Hingis explained. “It’s hard to do sometimes in a one-week tournament, but on the other hand, someone like Belinda [Bencic] – she enjoys doubles. Instead of having to practise, she goes and plays doubles. It was the same for me. That’s how I always felt. Instead of having to drill for another hour after a singles match, it was ‘Let’s just shake it out in the doubles.’

“Some of these tournaments, where you need to hit a lot of balls and get some match practice under pressure, doubles is helpful. And you can see, even the doubles-only players, we can still play against the top singles players, because it’s a different strategy, so it’s interesting and it’s also fun.”

In all, Hingis spent 209 weeks as the world’s No. 1 singles player, and won five major singles titles – three Australian Opens, one Wimbledon and one U.S. Open. Her Wimbledon title came at the age of 16, making her the youngest winner of the Open era. Singles may not be in her repertoire much any more, but in doubles – a fan-friendly event that tends to get short shrift in major events – she has found a comfortable niche.

Hingis applauded the fact that many of the top singles players – men’s and women’s – have recently taken to playing doubles, believing it is the only way to raise its profile.

“It’s a shame they don’t always show doubles on TV,” Hingis said. “Even my parents, they have all the pay channels in the world and they don’t get to see it – and these are good-quality tennis matches. The people have to push for it more. I think the personalities in the doubles, like when Anna and I used to play, people have to know the players. Then they go and watch them. If they don’t know them, it’s more difficult.”

theglobeandmail.com