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First Serve: Canadians on the pro tennis tours this week

First Serve: Canadians on the pro tennis tours this week

Milos Raonic is still nursing his foot, and hopes to be back for next week's Rogers Cup, so he won't be defending his ATP Tour title in Washington, D.C.

Genie Bouchard was supposed to be in D.C. but, for the second consecutive year, pulled out at the last minute, saying she wasn't yet ready to compete as she heals an abdominal tear suffered before Wimbledon.

But Vasek Pospisil (who lost to Raonic in the singles final there a year ago) will be there, as will Daniel Nestor, who appears to have split with partner Leander Paes and will go at it with singles star Andy Murray in doubles.

Vasek Pospisil, left, and Milos Raonic, right, both of Canada, pose before the men's singles final at the Citi Open tennis tournament, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2014, in Washington. Raonic won 6-1, 6-4. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Vasek Pospisil, left, and Milos Raonic, right, both of Canada, pose before the men's singles final at the Citi Open tennis tournament, Sunday, Aug. 3, 2014, in Washington. Raonic won 6-1, 6-4. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Pospisil and Raonic weren't the only ones to do well in D.C. a year ago; Gabriela Dabrowski won the women's doubles title (with Shuko Aoyama). She maximized a great opportunity; the pair only had to win three matches, and they didn't have to beat a team with combined doubles rankings under 300 to do it.

This year, Dabrowski and regular partner Alicja Rosolska are playing the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, California, seeded No. 3. Dabrowski lost her final-round singles qualifying match 6-4, 6-1 to 45-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan, who continues to soldier on as an inspiration to anyone of a certain age.

Another Canadian, 20-year-old Carol Zhao, also is in Stanford. She was awarded a wild card into the main draw by virtue of her college success this season playing for Stanford at the NCAA level, and so will be playing on her home courts. Zhao, who reached the semi-finals and won the doubles at last week's $25,000 tournament in Gatineau, Quebec (her second ITF doubles title), made it through the qualifying in Stanford last year and reached the second round.

Stanford's Carol Zhao reached the final of the NCAA tournament this year, losing to Jamie Loeb. (AP Photo/Rod Aydelotte)
Stanford's Carol Zhao reached the final of the NCAA tournament this year, losing to Jamie Loeb. (AP Photo/Rod Aydelotte)

Also in action this week is doubles specialist Adil Shamasdin, who is teaming up with Frantisek Cermak of the Czech Republic at the ATP Tour event on clay in Kitzbühel, Austria this week.

Everyone is gearing up for the Rogers Cup, which takes place next week. Those who don't receive wild cards for the main draw will play the qualifying, which begins Friday for the men in Montreal and Saturday for the women in Toronto.

To keep up with all the Canadian results around the world this week, bookmark this link.