Video: Andy Murray Interview at Rogers Cup

Here's Andy Murray and his doubles partner Colin Fleming after losing the doubles final at the Rogers Cup in Montreal. Sorry about the poor sound quality—Murray wasn't scheduled to talk to the media, as he was in a hurry to go to Cincinnati, but a few of us rushed down to the players area to get a few questions in before he left.

Rogers Cup Men's Semifinal Prediction: Raonic vs. Pospisil

  

Vasek Pospisil after defeating Berdych

Yesterday on Twitter I asked if anyone had predicted a Raonic vs. Pospisil semifinal, and then I claimed that anyone who said they had was a liar. But apparently I was wrong...

So thank you Jared Pine (@JaredPine) for sending me this and making me feel bad that I had less faith in the two Canadian boys than this ATP Fantasy fellow. (But seriously, who makes that pick?)

On with my semifinal prediction...

Vasek Pospisil vs. Milos Raonic 

All I can say is you did good Canada. You did really good. I don't know if it was the rambunctious and very biased Canadian crowd that helped these two reach the semis, but even if the crowd helped them along, they both had to play great tennis to end up in the final four. That's right—two of the final four players at this tournament are from Canada. 

Vasek has played some amazing tennis and his excitement is infectious. I was on the National Bank Court while Pospisil was playing Berdych and the atmosphere was incredible. The other players have been describing the experience of playing a Canadian player here as being the same as playing a Davis Cup match, and I would have to agree. And no one has revved up the crowd more than Vasek Pospisil. He genuinely seems so surprised and elated to be in the position he's in and when he walks into his press conferences he can't stop grinning. It is for this reason that I think Vasek is going to defeat Milos today. 

Milos has been the better player for the past few years, so all the pressure is on him to win this semifinal match. If he doesn't win, it will only add to the talk that Milos has been hyped up too much and that he still hasn't produced the results that people expected of him. On the other hand, just reaching the semis is an unbelievable achievement for Vasek, so no matter what happens today, this will be seen as a breakthrough tournament for him.

Milos is also the more subdued player and I think the crowd will get behind Vasek and his endearingly enthusiastic personality. That's not to say that I don't think the crowd will support Raonic, because they will. I just think that as the match goes on that Vasek might get a little more support.

I'll take Pospisil defeating Raonic in three sets. But no matter what the result is we'll have a Canadian in the final of a Masters 1000 event...and that is a big deal.

Video: Nadal Practice Session At Rogers Cup in Montreal

For photos from Nadal's practice session click here, and for other photos from the Rogers Cup click here. 

Rogers Cup Photos: Nadal, Raonic, Del Potro, Haas

Lots of great players on the grounds yesterday at the Rogers Cup in Montreal and another fantastic day for Canadian tennis with Vasek Pospisil defeating Radek Stepanek, and Milos Raonic beating Mikhail Youzhny.

Today should be even better with Nadal vs. Janowicz first up on Center Court, followed by Murray vs. Gulbis, Del Potro vs. Raonic, and Djokovic vs. Istomin. I'll also be making my way over to the National Bank Court to watch Pospisil try to take down Berdych.

Here are some photos from the Rogers Cup so far...

First up we've got Tommy Haas stretching it out during his practice session.

Then we've got Frank Dancevic and Jerzy Janowicz in their second round match. Jerzy won in three sets.

Photos: Nadal Practicing at Rogers Cup 2013

As always, Nadal had a big crowd for his practice session in Montreal this morning. He looks good, no?

Rogers Cup: Men's Predictions

I’m currently en route to Montreal, so I’ll have lots of photos, video, and stories to share once I arrive at the Rogers Cup. For now, I will leave you with my predictions for the men’s event. Please note that my first draft of this post had Djokovic, Murray, Nadal and Ferrer all making it through to the semis. But as the ATP has been a little unpredictable as of late, I decided to make some riskier predictions. Here we go!

Novak Djokovic’s Quarter

Djokovic should easily make it through to the quarterfinals—especially since his only intriguing potential match would have been against Bernard Tomic in the second round...but unfortunately the always unpredictable Bernie went down to Florian Mayer in his first match. Anyone in the bottom half of this section could make it through to the quarters, with Nishikori and Gasquet being the most likely candidates. I’ll take Djokovic and Gasquet meeting in the quarters with Djokovic destroying Gasquet to make it through to the semis.

Rafael Nadal’s Quarter

Nadal’s opening match will be against Canadian Jesse Levine—a match that Nadal should have no problem getting through. Jerzy Janowicz is an exciting third round possibility for Rafa, with Stan Wawrinka and Tommy Haas as potential quarterfinal opponents. Although Nadal is always the safer bet, I’ll take Nadal and Wawrinka meeting in the quarters, with Wawrinka making it through to face Djokovic in the semis. (And for the record, I also won’t be surprised if Jerzy takes out Nadal in the third round. Just saying.)

David Ferrer’s Quarter

Up first for Ferrer will be either Llodra or Bogomolov and then Andujar or Davydenko in the next round. None of these players should prove difficult for Ferrer, and I can’t see him running into any trouble until at least the quarters where he’ll likely play Tomas Berdych. I’m hoping that Vasek Pospisil will be able to use some of the Canadian energy to move past John Isner and then either Stepanek or Almagro, but that might be overly optimistic. I’ll take Ferrer and Berdych in the quarters with Ferrer making it through to the semis.

Andy Murray’s Quarter

Murray probably has the most interesting quarter with Del Potro, Raonic, Gulbis, Fognini and Dimitrov as possible opponents. First up for Murray will be Granollers or Dimitrov, and then Gulbis, Baghdatis or Fognini in the third round. Del Potro should easily make it through his first match and then he’ll face a potential third round clash with Canadian favourite Milos Raonic. I wish I could believe that Raonic could beat Del Po, but I just can’t, so I’ll take Del Potro overpowering Murray to make his way into the semis. 

Semifinals: Djokovic vs. Wawrinka and Ferrer vs. Del Potro

Final: Djokovic defeating Del Potro

Canada Defeats Spain in Davis Cup World Group Play

A year ago nobody could have predicted that Canada would beat Spain in a Davis Cup event. With a seemingly never ending roster of great players like Rafa Nadal, David Ferrer, Nicolas Almagro, and Feliciano Lopez, Spain is considered to be one of the top countries in the sport—certainly stronger than Canada with it's one player in the top fifty.

Yet here we are, in 2013, with Canada beating Spain to advance to the second round of Davis Cup World Group play for the first time....ever. Sure, Spain didn't have many of their top players there (okay fine, Spain didn't have ANY of their top players there), and it likely would have been an impossible task for Canada to have beaten Spain if Nadal and/or Ferrer were in attendance, but this win still matters, and it's a big deal for Canadian tennis.

For the first time ever, Canada has produced a player that people are talking about—and not just those people in the tennis world. Milos Raonic is slowly becoming a household name in Canada, and his success is a great thing for the sport of tennis in Canada.

Now if he could just win one of those pesky grand slams...

John Isner Practicing at the Rogers Cup

For more news, photos, and videos from the Rogers Cup click here. 

Djokovic Practicing at Rogers Cup in Toronto

For more news, photos, and videos from the Rogers Cup click here. 

Rogers Cup Photos: Before the Rains Came

Before the rains came and washed away all the play, there were actually things happening at the Rogers Cup—like matches and practice sessions. 

 

 

Raonic Takes on Murray at the Rogers Cup

Andy Murray in his press conference on August 8, 2012

This is THE match to watch today. This might be the match of the tournament—depending on how things pan out and how many other top players lose based on Olympic fatigue (I'm talking to you Del Potro and Tsonga).

You've got Milos Raonic—the hometown favourite and Canada's highest ranked tennis player ever. And then you've got Andy Murray, the two-time Rogers Cup champion who is fresh (or not-so-fresh if you listen to the players talk about how exhausted they are) off his gold medal win in London.

On a regular day, where both players are at their best, the edge has to go to Murray. He knows how to win big matches in a way that Milos hasn't quite figured out yet. But, this is not a regular day, and I'm not sure that Andy's mind or body are up to putting in the kind of hard fight that might be necessary to take out Milos.

"I feel a bit sore in the joints and stuff a little bit," Murray said in his press conference on Wednesday. "I mean, I feel tired mentally. Yeah, I mean, haven't really slept much the last few days, so that's probably catching up with me a little bit."

Murray came to Toronto with the intent of getting in a few hard court matches under his belt before the U.S. Open—the last major event of the season and Murray's favourite slam. There should be no doubt that Murray will try his best to defeat Raonic tonight, but he certainly won't risk injury or exhaustion in order to win. On the other hand, Raonic still has a lot to prove and he must know that with so many of the top players missing from the tournament that this might be his best chance of winning a Masters series title for a long time.

I predict a close match with Raonic coming through in three sets. Let's just hope that the predicted rain for this evening holds off until after the match is finished.


For more news, photos, and videos from the Rogers Cup click here.

Rogers Cup Photos: Djokovic and Tipsarevic Practice

Could there be a better practice session than the one that happened on Tuesday at the Rogers Cup between Novak Djokovic and a shirtless Janko Tipsarevic? Pretty sure the fans didn't think so...

Rogers Cup Photos: Juan Monaco on the Practice Courts

Juan Monaco was working hard on the practice courts at the Rogers Cup on Tuesday. See photos of his practice below:

Tipsarevic at Yonge-Dundas Square for Rogers Cup LIVE!

Janko Tipsarevic made an appearance at Toronto's Yonge-Dundas Square today to promote this week's Rogers Cup. After participating in a Q&A session with fans, Tipsarevic played tennis with young kids on a mini-tennis court and then signed autographs and was interviewed by various media outlets. He seemed to enjoy himself and was enthusiastic about playing with the children and answering questions from both fans and journalists.

See below for photos from the event:

Video: Milos Raonic at the Rogers Cup

I was lucky enough to watch Milos Raonic on the practice courts at the Rogers Cup yesterday. Milos looked great and he seemed to be having a good time with his coach and his practice partner Peter Polansky.

Here's some video footage of his practice session:

To see photos of Milos and other top players practicing in Toronto click here.

Rogers Cup Photos and Recap: Qualifying Day 1

Back home from my first day of covering the Rogers Cup in Toronto. I'll be at the tournament every day this week, so check back often for photos, videos, and news. As expected, there were not many big name players on the practice courts today, as they either withdrew (Federer, Nadal, Roddick, Ferrer, Wawrinka, Almagro, and most recently Feliciano Lopez) or they're still at the Olympics (Djokovic and Murray). However, I did get a chance to see lots of great players sweating it out in the ridiculous heat of Toronto.

First up on Court 1 was Italian Fabio Fognini who defeated Canadian Pavel Krainik in the first round of qualifying.

I heard Milos was on the practice courts so I quickly ditched the Fognini match and headed over to watch everyone's favourite Canadian. He was practicing with fellow Canadian Peter Polansky.

Then Milos stated telling his coach some crazy story where he made monster-like movements with his arms.

While watching Milos on the practice courts I turned around to catch Bernard Tomic posing for photos with a bunch of fans. Made me like him a little more.  

Day 4: Olympic Tennis Matches to Watch

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Milos Raonic
GO CANADA!!! I feel like this match is either going to be a blow-out match with Tsonga winning in straight sets, or a hard-fought three-setter with Milos winning. I wish I believed that Milos could take Tsonga out and keep Canada in the running for a singles medal, but I think the Frenchman will prevail.

Andy Roddick vs. Novak Djokovic
Brutal second round match for Andy. Just brutal. Novak is probably not loving this draw either, but you've got to think that he's going to be able to take Andy out. But who knows. Andy's had a lot of success on the Wimbledon courts in the past (not that Novak hasn't as well), so perhaps we'll see an upset. Here's hoping.

Feliciano Lopez vs. Juan Monaco
If you need to ask why this is a must-see match to watch, then clearly you haven't seen these photos before. Or these. And I guess, you know, it will also be an exciting match because Juan Monaco is on a roll and will want to continue his winning ways, and Feliciano is a pretty good grass court player and will want to make the most of his last minute Olympic entry. It will be a delightfully pretty match to watch, and I'll go with Pico winning in three sets. 

Other potentially interesting matches of the day include Gasquet vs. Baghdatis, Venus Williams vs. Aleksandra Woziak, and obviously the tag team of Federer and Wawrinka against Erlic and Ram.

What's Not to Love About Vasek Pospisil?

I love Vasek Pospisil. He might actually be my favourite Canadian tennis player. Vasek just always seems so happy and enthusiastic...and he rarely hides his excitement when he's played a great match.

For example, remember when Pospisil and Raonic played Djokovic and Nadal in a doubles match at the 2010 Rogers Cup? And the young Canadians (who were completely unknown at the time) actually won? Look how excited Pospisil is! 

And then the moment when he truly won me over—when he beat Chela in the first round of the 2011 Rogers Cup and celebrated like he'd just won Wimbledon...

Of course, part of his excitement after the Chela match was that his next round opponent would be none other than his idol Roger Federer. See him fanboying Goffin-style in this interview at the 3:20 mark:

And in this video around the 1:45 mark...

Which leads us to the recent tour of his Roland Garros apartment (which was actually the only video I'd planned on putting in this post, but clearly I got distracted), where Vasek is, of course, funny and charming.

Seriously, I need him to break into the top 50 as soon as possible, so I can watch him play all the time.

Day 5: French Open Men's Matches to Watch

Milos Raonic vs. Jesse Levine (first match on Court 3)
Who doesn't love a little Canadian vs. American action? Although interestingly enough, although he's listed as an American player, Jesse Levine was actually born in Canada. Milos is the clear favourite to win this match, but who knows, Mr. Canadian-turned-American might find a way to give Milos some trouble. I'm going with Raonic in three sets.

Marcos Baghdatis vs. Nicolas Almagro (second match on Court 2)
Like the other Spaniards, Almagro is a pretty decent clay court player, but Baghdatis has never done so well on the clay. But regardless of his poor record on this surface, Baghdatis is rarely boring, and so this is a match I'm interested in watching. I'll go with Almagro winning in four sets.

Richard Gasquet vs. Grigor Dimitrov (fifth match on Court Suzanne Lenglen)
And now we come to a match between two highly touted players who didn't quite live up to their expected potential. I'm going to go with Gasquet pulling through in four sets, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see him crash out in straight sets either.

Federer vs. Raonic Highlights in Madrid

Milos Raonic played a highly entertaining match against Roger Federer yesterday in Madrid, and although Federer won, it was very very close. People were already talking about how great a player Milos is, and I think this match proves that it's only a matter of time before he's in the top ten.

Check out highlights from the match below: