Canadian clashes take over start of Rogers Cup

Canadian tennis really put itself on the map starting in 2013 when Vasek Pospisil faced Milos Raonic in the Rogers Cup semifinals. A year later, Eugenie Bouchard made the Wimbledon final and burst into the Top 5, while Pospisil won the Wimbledon doubles title (with Jack Sock).

Pospisil and Bouchard's profiles have both dropped off in the years since, and Canada's hopes are now carried by new faces: Bianca Andreescu and Felix Auger-Aliassime. It's for good reason; Andreescu has gone 32-4 in 2019—including the Indian Wells title—and Auger-Aliassime has made three different finals, and recorded wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas, compatriot Denis Shapovalov and Nick Kyrgios.

This week, in the first round of the Rogers Cup, the teens will be tasked with taking on their older Canadian peers, as Auger-Aliassime drew Pospisil in Montreal, and Andreescu is set to play Bouchard in Toronto.

Andreescu beat Bouchard in their only career meeting, 6-2, 6-0, in the quarterfinals of this year's Newport Beach Oracle Challenger, a tournament Andreescu went on to win.

A looming potential second-round opponent for the winner is Angelique Kerber, whom Andreescu defeated in the Indian Wells final, and who infamously called Andreescu "the biggest drama queen ever" after losing to her again in Miami a week later.

Andreescu retired from her fourth round in Miami with a "small shoulder tear" and hasn't been able to complete a tournament since.

Auger-Aliassime leads Pospisil 2-0 in their career series, having won in Indian Wells in 2018 and at Wimbledon this year. They're also playing on the same team this week in doubles.

A couple of Canadians getting underway on Monday are Shapovalov, who plays Pierre-Hugues Herbert, and Peter Polansky, who plays No. 16 seed Gael Monfils. The winner of Herbert and Shapovalov will meet No. 2 seed Dominic Thiem in the second round.

Raonic already won his opening match, 6-4, 6-4, over Lucas Pouille. Meanwhile, Brayden Schnur fell, 6-1, 6-2, to Tommy Paul, and 16-year-old wild card Leylah Fernandez lost, 6-0, 6-1, to Marie Bouzkova.