Music: {allcanada} ROGERS CUP EVENTS DRAW 59 OF THE TOP 60 TENNIS PLAYERS

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

{allcanada} ROGERS CUP EVENTS DRAW 59 OF THE TOP 60 TENNIS PLAYERS

TORONTO -- The world's top tennis players are coming to Canada, facing a quick turnaround from the London Olympics to play in Rogers Cup Masters Series events in Toronto and Montreal.

Tennis Canada announced Wednesday that all of the 35 top-ranked ATP Tour players will take to the court at Toronto's Rexall Centre for the men's Rogers Cup.

The cream of the crop on the WTA Tour will gather in Montreal, where 24 of the top-25 players will compete at Uniprix Stadium. Only sixth-ranked American Serena Williams will miss the event.

Both current world No. 1s, Maria Sharapova and defending Rogers Cup champion Novak Djokovic, are confirmed.

The Canadian events both start Aug. 4, while the tennis competitions at the Olympics are scheduled to take place from July 28 to Aug. 5. That means an extremely quick turnaround for some players, particularly those who advance far in the Olympic tournament.

Canadian star Milos Raonic, currently ranked No. 22 on the ATP tour, doesn't see the placing of the Rogers Cup events as an issue.

"People see how special and how good the tournament is here in Toronto as well as in Montreal," Raonic said during a conference call. "They want to be a part of it and it stands out a lot to them compared to how other Masters might not."

Raonic, who grew up near Rexall Centre in Thornhill, Ont., will be playing at his hometown tournament for the first time since breaking into the top-25 on the ATP tour.

"I've spent so many years not only going to watch the tournament at the Rexall Centre, but training there as well," he said. "Just the whole sense of being here in Toronto and being home, there's an ease to it but at the same time there's an excitement to do well, and hope for my best level and my best tennis during that week."