Rogers Cup brings out shot clock, new stars and big wins

This year’s Rogers Cup rivaled the Slams in entertainment value and marquee matchups.

Canadian tennis fans got a taste of their future in Félix Auger-Aliassime, who turned 18 just minutes after a third-set tiebreak loss to Daniil Medvedev. Last year's semifinalist Denis Shapovalov started strong, and would succumb in the round of 16.

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev, who faced each other in the Citi Open final, put on a show in the Toronto semifinals. Tsitsipas impressed in his career-best week by taking out four Top-10 stars including Dominic Thiem, Novak Djokovic, Zverev and then Kevin Anderson.

Maybe most impressive was the Greek teen’s assertion that he “grabbed [Djokovic] like a bulldog” and knew “at some point he’s going to break.” How’s that for belief from a 20-year-old?

Where the ATP Masters 1000-level events have been dominated by the Big Four for so long, Zverev and Tsitsipas are closing in. Though he lost after being up a set and 5-2 against Tsitsipas, Zverev is a threat in every tournament, and has three Masters crowns to his name.

Of course, Nadal still ended up being the last man standing or sitting.

Among the veterans, Stan Wawrinka looked to be in his most competitive since his return from knee surgery. He battled back from a set down against Nick Kyrgios, and in his third round night match with Rafael Nadal, he looked much closer to his old, dangerous self in a 7-5, 7-6 (4) loss.

It was the match of the tournament, until Tsitsipas took out Anderson in an epic third-set tiebreak.

On the women’s side, all the big names have been showcasing how deep the field is. Defending champ Elina Svitolina, who’s had something of a rollercoaster season, looked steady en route to the semifinals, before a 6-3, 6-3 loss to Sloane Stephens.

Kiki Bertens and Elise Mertens are increasingly making their presence felt at the big events. Both reached the quarterfinals, and it would be no surprise to see one or both of them in the quarterfinals or better at the US Open.

Ashleigh Barty enjoyed a stellar week, reaching the singles semifinals and winning the doubles crown with Demi Schuurs.

The two players who currently stand out in the field, though, are world No. 1 Simona Halep and her French Open finals counterpart Stephens.

After getting bounced early at Wimbledon, they look right at home on the hard courts as they relentlessly chase down ball after ball. The two played an epic final on Sunday, with Halep prevailing 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-4.

But perhaps the biggest star of the tournament is the new 25-second shot clock. Newly introduced this US Open Series, the time keeper has already created a new layer of intrigue and analysis. All of the players have had positive reviews, even Nadal.

The rule is, the clock begins immediately after the chair umpire announces the score, but when the umpire announces the score is up to his discretion. Already, we’ve seen instances where the umpire will wait a good five seconds or longer before announcing the score and starting the clock. Which begs the question: is it really shortening the time between points?

Cincinnati this week will be another good opportunity for players and court officials alike to get used to the shot clock before it debuts at the US Open.

Tennis Channel PLUS is your home for the Western & Southern Open. Watch every match live from 8 courts only on Tennis Channel PLUS.