CBC Article: Profile Of The Top Male Tennis Players Competing This Week At The Canadian Open.

Rogers Cup: No guarantees of Nadal, Federer final

Deep field could derail dream matchup

Last Updated: Monday, August 9, 2010 | 10:14 AM ET Comments15Recommend15

By Tony Care, CBC Sports

Canadian tennis fans would love nothing more than to see Roger Federer, left, square off against Rafael Nadal in a Rogers Cup dream final. (Daniel Ochoa/Associated Press)Tournament organizers did their part in helping to secure the dream Rogers Cup final Canadian tennis fans have longed for. Now it’s up to Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer to deliver on their end.

Nadal — the top-ranked player in the world — will be at one end of the seeding bracket in Toronto while No. 3 Federer sits on the other side. While play begins Monday, Nadal and Federer drew byes into the second round.

Live coverage

Watch live coverage of the Rogers Cup on CBC.

The main network will televise both of the semifinals on August 14 (at 3pm and 7pm ET) and the final on August 15 (at 1:30 pm ET)

All three matches will also be streamed live on CBCSports.ca.

But should fans make plans for a final pitting the two most dominant men’s tennis players of the last half-decade?

Not so fast.

Peter Burwash, CBC Sports analyst for the Rogers Cup, gives the highly anticipated matchup a remote chance of taking place.

“I say five or 10 per cent,” Burwash said of a possible Nadal and Federer clash.

“The one downside is Federer and Nadal are coming off significant layoffs from Wimbledon, and so we do see a lot more upsets in this type of tournament rather than the normal part of the year.”

Another roadblock for Nadal and Federer, who have combined for 24 Grand Slam titles, is the depth in field. Eighth of the top 10 men are in Toronto, with only No. 7 Juan del Potro, who has a back injury, pulling out of the tournament.

“I’m really impressed [with the field],” Burwash said. “There’s a lot of diversity with the top 20 players now. I wasn’t a big fan of the men’s game about six or seven years ago.

“Now the players are getting smarter. They’re starting to use their intelligence a little bit more on the court. The players are in much better condition, they’re much tougher, and we’re seeing a lot of tough three-setters now.”

Here’s a look at the contenders for the Rogers Centre’s men’s main draw, which takes place at York University’s Rexall Place, with Burwash’s breakdown:

Contenders

Rafael Nadal

• ATP ranking: 1
• Resumé: 8 Grand Slam titles, two-time Rogers Cup champion

Nadal is clearly on top of his game. The Spaniard has won the last two Grand Slam titles (French Open and Wimbledon) in impressive fashion. The only question centres on Nadal’s durability, since his persistent knee problems can flare up at any moment.

Burwash: There are certain players who perform at 100 per cent in practice and Nadal is one of those players. When you watch him, you wouldn’t know whether he’s in a match or practising. And that’s what makes him so darn good. He has a great temperament for the game.

Novak Djokovic

• ATP ranking: 2
• Resumé: Australian Open champion (2008), Rogers Cup champion (2007)

Defending Rogers Cup champion Andy Murray has yet to taste victory in 2010. (Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press) Djokovic overtook Federer for No. 2 on the ATP Tour, but the Serb hasn’t exactly lit the tennis world on fire since capturing the Australian Open two years ago. Djokovic has managed just two semifinal appearances in his last six Grand Slam competitions but won’t be an easy out in Toronto.

Burwash: I would be very surprised if he wasn’t a semifinalist. He’s a really tough opponent to play because he’s fundamentally sound from the ground. He’s extremely challenging [and] he doesn’t give away a lot of easy points. But the one thing is, you can get into his head. He calls for the trainer a lot, which agitates [opposing] players … they get bugged by that.

Roger Federer

• ATP ranking: 3
• Resumé: 16 Grand Slam titles, two-time Rogers Cup champion

Federer began the season with a bang after winning the Australian Open, but his play has dipped during the last few months. Federer failed to advance to the semifinal at the French Open — the first time in an amazing 23 Grand Slam events — and also suffered an early exit at Wimbledon. Still, we’re talking about a man who has dominated the sport like no other male player before him. In addition, he hired respected coach Paul Annacone, who coached Hall of Famer Pete Sampras, last month to help him with his game.

Burwash: I think I’m the only analyst who has talked about Roger Federer not having the best forehand [right now]. When he’s confident, it’s extremely dangerous and could very well [be] the best forehand in the world. He has a very low trajectory so he’s playing with a low margin of error. When you don’t have confidence, that margin of error goes as well. For Roger right now, the confidence factor is really the critical issue for him. But Roger Federer will always go down as one of the most respected tennis players ever.

Andy Murray

• ATP ranking: 4
• Resumé: Rogers Cup champion (2009)

All that talent and yet Murray hasn’t won a Grand Slam title during his career or a tour victory this season. Murray baffles tennis pundits because his game is significantly better than what he’s shown this year. However, if he’s able to defend his Rogers Cup title, Murray will have more confidence heading into September’s U.S. Open.

Burwash: When Andy is on the court he’s constantly looking at his emotional support structure — family, friends. If he can just get away from that and play within himself, he’d be in good shape, because he’s probably the smartest player on tour right now.

Robin Soderling

• ATP ranking: 5
• Resumé: Two-time French Open finalist

Soderling was the first Swede to advance to the French Open final (2009) since his coach Magnus Norman made an appearance in 2000. The 25-year-old definitely has the power game to be a mainstay on the ATP Tour.

Burwash: He’s a big tournament player now and is certainly someone that has to be reckoned with. He’s been inconsistent over his career but has such a big forehand and a huge serve. The question is whether he can be mentally consistent.

Nikolay Davydenko

• ATP ranking: 6
• Resumé: 20 ATP Tour titles

The Russian’s biggest win to date came in 2009, at the year-ending Barclays ATP Tour Finals in London when he defeated Juan del Potro. While not a flashy player, Davydenko frustrates opponents with his feisty game.

Burwash: He’s a pain in the neck to play against. He’s improved tremendously and has fixed up his serve. He’s hitting the ball a lot flatter and is playing shorter points. Davydenko is a good, solid player. He’s not the most charismatic player on tour but is a very clean and smooth [player].

Andy Roddick

• ATP ranking: 11
• Resumé: U.S. Open champion (2003), Rogers Cup champion (2003)

It’s hard to believe that Roddick only has one Grand Slam title to his name. Even with one of the most powerful serves in the history of tennis, Roddick has certainly endured his peeks and valleys in the last seven years. Roddick saw his ATP Tour ranking drop from No. 9 to 11 on Monday after he lost a third-round matchup to France’s Gilles Simon last week at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington. But the American loves to play in this tournament and should be a formidable opponent.

Burwash: He would be one of my top 3 favourites going in [and coach] Larry Stefanki has done a great job with him. The good thing about Andy is that even at 27, he is truly willing to make changes in his game. His serve always is tough to break and he plays well in Canada.

Canadians

Frank Dancevic

• ATP ranking: 368
• Rogers Cup: Wildcard entry

The 25-year-old from Niagara Falls is making his ninth appearance and had his best showing in 2007, when he reached the quarter-finals in Montreal. Dancevic also climbed to his highest ranking (65) a short time later.

Pierre-Ludovic Duclos

• ATP ranking 328
• Rogers Cup: Wildcard entry

Making his third appearance in the main draw, Duclos, 24, has been a consistent performer on the ATP Challenger Tour circuit, reaching the quarter-finals at two events this season. A first-round victory by Duclos would set up a matchup with American Andy Roddick.

Peter Polansky

• ATP ranking: 200
• Rogers Cup: Wildcard entry

The top-ranked Canadian male, 22, won his opening match at last year’s Rogers Cup in Montreal, but fell to Serbian Novak Djokovic in the second round. Polansky, from Thornhill, Ont., has also reached the semifinal at a Challenger even in Carson, Calif., this season.

Milos Raonic

• ATP ranking: 209
• Rogers Cup: Wildcard entry

Competing in his second Rogers Cup tournament, Raonic made the 2009 event by knocking off a pair of top 115 opponents (Michael Llodra and Teymuraz Gabashvili). Should Raonic and Polansky win their respective opening matches, the Canadians will square off in the second round.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2010/08/08/spf-rogers-cup-contenders.html#ixzz0w4KYsqlH