Anticipate some high-calibre tennis on the 2023 Nationwide Financial institution Open introduced by Rogers this week.
There are 9 Canadians within the qualifying and primary singles attracts, and for the primary time in a very long time, the three in the principle draw will every face a qualifier on the outset.
On Friday afternoon, the NBO hosted the draw ceremony at a downtown restaurant, and everybody in attendance concurred that the star-studded area and sheer variety of potential clashes have been very, very thrilling.
“Every week in the past, we determined which Canadians would play on Centre Court docket on Monday and Tuesday. That was the straightforward half,” mentioned match director Valérie Tétreault.
“However as soon as the draw was full, I mentioned to myself that issues have been going to get extra difficult and that I’d be getting calls from gamers with their requests. Now I perceive why Eugène Lapierre determined to go away!” she added with amusing and a wink at her predecessor, ensconced behind the room, who smiled and nodded in settlement.
Bianca, Leylah, Rebecca
If our three Canadians handle to overpower their qualifier opponents, No.44 Bianca Andreescu will face No.8 Petra Kvitova (7) of Czechia; No.88 Leylah Fernandez will tackle both No.13 Beatriz Haddad Maia (11) of Brazil or No.33 Paula Badosa of Spain, and No.90 Rebecca Marino will stand as much as No.7 Coco Gauff (6) of the US.
Picture : Paul Rivard
Additionally within the combine are Grand Slam champions Caroline Wozniacki, who will encounter a qualifier, and Venus Williams, who must cope with Madison Keys.
Excessive calibre for positive.
Nonetheless, colliding with a qualifier within the first spherical is a double-edged sword. “The qualifiers have already performed two matches. They’re snug on the courtroom, and so they’re coming in with a whole lot of confidence,” defined Marie-Ève Pelletier, former member of the WTA and an analyst at TVA Sports activities.
Picture : Paul Rivard
Whereas Bianca and Rebecca each mentioned they have been joyful to be again within the stadium and on the courts the place they first began out on the Nationwide Tennis Centre, newly topped Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova is right here for the very first time.
After elevating the Venus Rosewater Dish, she skyrocketed to World No.10 and cemented her place in Czechia’s spectacular delegation of 9 gamers within the WTA High 100. These previous few weeks, she made essentially the most of her downtime at house, the place she was in a position to soak up her win.
“It’s a tremendous feeling. There are seven Czechs within the High 50. You may really feel that everybody desires to win and the youthful gamers are developing behind us,” she mentioned. However her new standing as a Grand Slam champion comes with a value: “There’s additionally the truth that, now, all of the gamers need to beat me. I’ve turn into a goal!”
In her first match, Marketa Vondrousova (9) will meet up with No.31 Mayar Sherif of Egypt.
At this weekend’s qualifying occasion, 32 gamers together with 6 Canadians can be vying for 8 spots in the principle draw.
Eugenie Bouchard, 2014 Wimbledon finalist and the present No.223, must play her finest tennis to defeat her rival, 2022 AO finalist and the present No.49 Danielle Collins of the US.
Picture : Getty
Leylah Fernandez’s youthful sister Bianca can be tackling No.46 Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine; No.144 Katherine Sebov, who was a finalist on the latest Granby Nationwide Financial institution Championships, will cross swords with No.59 Peyton Stearns of the US, and Carol Zhao will face off towards No.85 Cristina Bucsa of Spain.
As for Marina Stakusic and Mia Kupres, the 2 youngsters who emerged from the pre-qualifying match held earlier this week, they’ll be up towards No.48 Alycia Parks of the US and No.60 Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan, respectively.
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