Several days from now the best players in men’s tennis will duke it out at the Rexall Centre at York University, including the top two in the world – four-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal and five-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, who Nadal beat at Wimbledon in a thriller this year.
The Rogers Cup, running from Saturday, July 19, to Sunday, July 27, will feature the top 44 players on tour. Nadal, winner of the Rogers Cup in 2005, and Federer, who was victorious at the tournament in 2004 and again in 2006, will compete against defending Rogers Cup champion Novak Djokovic. Last year was Djokovic’s first time playing at the Rogers Cup.
Left: Rafael Nadal. Photo courtesy of Tennis Canada
In addition, Tennis Canada announced last week the four wild card entries into the singles main draw of the Rogers Cup – Frank Dancevic, Frederic Niemeyer, Peter Polansky and Marat Safin, the 2000 winner of the Rogers Cup.
Hailing from Niagara Falls, Dancevic upset the seventh-ranked player at Wimbledon this year, while Niemeyer, who captured the Odlum Brown Challenger in Vancouver, will join Daniel Nestor as the Canadian doubles team at the Beijing Olympics, following the Rogers Cup. Thornhill native Polansky, 20, is relatively new to the game, but has come a long way in his first year as a professional player jumping close to 500 spots. He is also on the Canadian Davis Cup team and earned his first qualifying selection to a Grand Slam in June at Wimbledon. Safin, who was beaten by Federer in the semi-finals at this year’s Wimbledon, captured the US Open in 2000 and the Australian Open in 2005.
Right: Roger Federer. Photo courtesy of Tennis Canada
A total of 56 players will compete in the Rogers Cup, the third-oldest tournament after Wimbledon and the US Open. This year’s prize money is US$2.615 million. The official draw for Rogers Cup will take place at the Rexall Centre on July 19 starting at 2pm.
YFile readers are invited to join the action with significant savings of up to 25 per cent off prime Level 100 silver seats.
To order, visit the Rogers Cup Ticket Centre Web site and use your group access code: YFI0-7444501, call Tennis Canada at 1-877-283-6647, ext. 4306, or e-mail groups@tenniscanada.com.
Click here for a schedule detailing the cost of discounted tickets. Friends and family of YFile readers are also eligible for the discount.
For player biographies and other tennis information and news, vist the 2008 Rogers Cup Web site.