August 23, 2009

Ron Turenne

August 23, 2009

With the conclusion of another riveting year of Rogers Cup Toronto, it's never too early for a look ahead at 2010. In what has become a truly unique format, the women will head to Montreal, while the male stars of the ATP World Tour will bring their skills back to Toronto. The likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murry and Novak Djokovic will undoubtedly thrill the crowds at Rexall Centre with their power, speed and determination.

Fans in Toronto are well acquainted with world No. 1 Federer. He has two Rogers Cup titles, beating Andy Roddick in the 2004 final and Richard Gasquet in 2006. Federer played in the 2009 event soon after becoming the father of twins, falling in the quarter-finals to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Meanwhile, fans in Toronto last saw Nadal alongside the Rogers Cup trophy on Centre Court. The Spaniard defeated Nicolas Kiefer for his second Canadian title last summer, after beating Andre Agassi in a tight, three-set final in 2005. Rafa is one of the most exciting players on the ATP World Tour, with his ability to cover the entire court and hit powerful ground strokes.

Murray reached a pair of Rogers Cup semifinals in 2006 and 2008, before breaking through to claim the championship this year in Montreal. In a thrilling final, the 22-year-old outlasted Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-1 at Uniprix Stadium. Murray has reached the world No. 2 ranking and will be a serious contender to repeat when he arrives at Rexall Centre in 2010.

Djokovic was a surprise winner in 2007, stunning No. 1 Federer in his first appearance at the Canadian event. The 7-6(2), 2-6, 7-6(2) victory was an epic match that turned the Serbian into a household name in Canada, making him part of any discussion of the contenders at Rogers Cup.

Other 2010 contenders will include Roddick, who has played superb tennis this summer and has a great record at the Canadian event, and Del Potro, who has emerged as one of the best hard court players in the game. It may still be a year away but the countdown has already begun for what should be another fabulous week of tennis at Rexall Centre at what has become one of the most hotly-contested stops on both the WTA and ATP Tours.