Canadian players will not have an easy time in the first round of the National Bank Open. This is the observation we made after the drawing that took place on Friday at Place Ville Marie.
Félix Auger-Aliassime had a favorable draw. With his pass he meets a player from the qualification in the second round.
The Quebecer was not due to play his first game until Wednesday. It will give him some time to recover after his participation in the tournament in Mexico.
It is well positioned at the bottom of the first part of the table. With solid play he could go far.
For his part, Denis Shapovalov will have a big case on hand for his first round match. He meets Australian Alex de Minaur, 21st in the world. This one just won the Atlanta tournament.
It’s not exactly the duel the Canadian wanted for his debut at the tournament in Montreal. It is worth remembering that he has lost eight of his last nine games. His only win came at Wimbledon in late June.
Quebec’s Alexis Galarneau will also face a big client. He will cross swords with Grigor Dimitrov in his baptism of fire at the National Bank Open. We’ll see what Young Wolf can do against a veteran of the track.
Finally, veteran Vasek Pospisil, who earned a bye into the peloton, will have a tough challenge when he takes on American Tommy Paul.
Significant tremors
In the first round several games will be interesting. Among these we note a clash between Marin Cilic and Borna Coric. Cilic missed the last Grand Slam tournament due to COVID-19.
We can expect him to have a knife between his teeth. The Croatian is never an easy customer, no matter the surface.
At the side of the enfant terrible of the ATP Nick Kyrgios, he was unlucky in the draw. A win in the first round could land him a date with Russian Daniil Medvedev in the second round.
If the Australian has a good day, we could see a high-class clash. The Wimbledon runner-up is in a hot spell and has shown he can be dangerous against anyone.