On Sunday, the qualifying rounds came to an end in the weekend’s sweltering heat. Now, it’s time to get down to business with the matches in the main draw of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers in Montréal.
Get your cup of coffee, and we’ll give you all the details.
THE BIG NAMES ENTER THE SCENE
At noon, the main draw of the National Bank Open presented by Rogers gets underway with great fanfare at IGA Stadium in Montréal. Only the weather, which climate change has made unpredictable, could interrupt the show.
Centre Court will feature a brilliant constellation of tennis stars, including Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland, three-time Canadian champion Andy Murray of Great Britain and, in the evening, the determined Denis Shapovalov, who’s been trying to regain the form we’ve come to expect from him.
Wawrinka opens the show against Emil Ruusuvuori of Finland. Then, Murray will take on the powerful American Taylor Fritz (10).
The Canadian will have to be consistent against Australian Alex de Minaur, who was trained in the tough Spanish school. The tireless Diego Schwartzman (12) of Argentina will close out the day’s activities against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain.
If Rogers Court enthuses you, wait until you see the line-up! Karen Kachanov, Alexander Bublik, Hugo Gaston, Jack Draper, Marcos Giron, Roberto Bautista Agut (14), Fabio Fognini and the young and talented Holger Rune of Denmark will all be in action.
In addition to the singles matches that pit Alex Molcan against Mackenzie McDonald and Frenchmen Adrian Mannarino against Arthur Rinderknech, Court No.9 will feature the first doubles matches of the week. First, Grigor Dimitrov and Andrey Rublev will take on Australians Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell. Afterwards, Benjamin Bonzi and Gaël Monfils will tussle with Canadian Vasek Pospisil and the highly skilled Jannik Sinner of Italy.
QUALIFIER VS. QUALIFIER
Among the seven survivors of the qualifying rounds, four have the privilege of going head-to-head for a spot in the second round of the main draw. There’s Mannarino and Rinderknech, as well as Hugo Gaston and Jack Draper. Marcos Giron isn’t as lucky, since he’ll face Roberto Bautista Agut. Fognini and Rune will also clash.
Félix Auger-Aliassime’s opponent in the second round will be either Benoît Paire or Yoshihito Nishioka. Their duel will be decided on Tuesday, and Félix will make his entrance on Wednesday.
MONDAY FUNDAY
Off the courts, Monday will be anything but boring with the opening ceremony at 6 p.m. on Centre Court at IGA Stadium. Also planned is an immersive show inspired by the rhythms of the matches on the court and the heartbeats of the fans in the stands that conveys all the emotions we’ll experience in the coming days. Afterwards, the National Bank Open trophy will be unveiled. It’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate the return of the tournament at full capacity—a first since 2019.
Make the most of the site before and after the matches, since the activities are ongoing! Stevens and Amélie from Occupation double will be hosting their own Olympics in the Tennis Canada Zone, where they’ll compete in mini tennis battles. At 5:30 p.m., enjoy a musical moment at the Acoustic Hour featuring local musicians on the Loto-Québec stage. And don’t forget the delectable array of gastronomic delights available all over the site, from the concessions to the terraces.
If it rains, be sure to check out our handy tips to know what to expect.
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