Rogers Cup: Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer Show off Their Might in Toronto
Both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer made their way through to the quarterfinals of the Rogers Cup in Toronto after overcoming their opponents comfortably in straight sets. All four of the top seeds have now booked their places in the next round of the ATP (Association of Tennis Players) event in Toronto, with Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and Britain’s Andy Murray also sealing victories in Canada. Federer, ranked third in the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) world rankings, defeated Frenchman Michael Llodra to set up another meeting with Tomas Berdych, the man who got the better of him at Wimbledon this year. In a recent interview, Federer said he aimed to bag at least 20 Grand Slam trophies before he bid farewell to the professional tennis grid.
Having struggled in his previous match against Stanislas Wawrinka, Nadal’s victory over South Africa’s Kevin Anderson in the evening session was much more straightforward. In beating Anderson, Nadal recorded his 33rd win in the last 34 showdowns counting back from April. The Spaniard has set his sights on next month’s U.S. Open, a Grand Slam title that yet eludes him. Nadal said it was crucial to have made it to the quarterfinal stage of such an important event, remarking he was quite satisfied with his performance so far. Kevin Anderson, South Africa’s top ranked player in the men’s circuit, employed his big serve and managed to gain an early advantage in the first set against Nadal, who is currently ranked number one in the world. Eventually, however, the muscular Spaniard outperformed his opponent to set up a quarterfinals clash against Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber. Nadal said he was expecting a tough match against Kohlschreiber, remarking that the Rogers Cup was going to be a tough trophy to seal considering the world’s best players were vying for the ultimate prize in Toronto. Having already won the year’s coveted French Open and Wimbledon Grand Slam titles, the Spaniard is no doubt looking to prolong his spell as the world’s number one tennis player.
Now that both Nadal and Federer have advanced in Toronto, the possibility for a thrilling showdown between the old time rivals still lurks. The two all-time greats appear to be on course for another encounter, a clash that presents a truly mouth-watering drama for tennis fans the world over.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, who had a hard time enduring the blistering Toronto heat in the previous game against Frenchman Julien Benneteau, cruised through into the quarters after overcoming Romania’s Victor Hanescu 6-3, 6-4. Djokovic will next encounter the fired up Jeremy Chardy on Friday to battle it out for a place in the semifinals. The Serb has a strong record against world number 72 Chardy, which he will be looking to emulate in Toronto. Chardy has put on several assured displays this week, having overcome Marcos Baghdatis, Fernando Verdasco and sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko. The Frenchman will hope to clinch his 20th ATP Tour level victory this year when he meets Djokovic. Meanwhile, if Djokovic wins this Friday, he will have advanced to his 5th ATP World Tour semifinal of the year, piling up on his previous feats in Dubai, Wimbledon, Monte Carlo and Rotterdam. This Friday will mark world number two Djokovic’s 4th successive Rogers Cup quarterfinals display.
Last year’s Canadian Masters winner, Britain’s Andy Murray, is well on course to defending his crown after defeating Frenchman Gael Monfils 6-2, 0-6, 6-3. Murray will next meet the in-form Argentine, David Nalbandian in the fight for a semifinals spot. Murray expects a difficult battle against Nalbandian, an adversary he has never defeated to date. Nalbandian, who overcame Sweden’s Robin Soderling to reach the quarterfinals, said he was enjoying his time in Toronto, his first event ever since an injury ruled him out of the professional tour in April this year. Andy Murray, meanwhile, must be feeling the pressure for he must make it to the finals in Canada if he is to retain his world number four ranking.
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