Five must-see players outside of the top 10 at Toronto’s 2016 Rogers Cup
TORONTO — Most Canadian tennis fans, even the casual ones, will be familiar with the big four — Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal — along with Canada's Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil. But when the Rogers Cup comes around, many of the world's top players travel to Canada to play in the Masters-1000-level event. While there have been a number of withdrawals at the tournament this year, such as three of the top four players, there are plenty of other captivating players at the event this year. Here's a list of five must-see players you may not be all too familiar with.
Denis Shapovalov: This Toronto teen is being tapped as the next Canadian tennis star, following in the footsteps of Milos Raonic. The 17-year-old Shapovalov recently won the Wimbledon boys’ singles title and has won the U.S. Open boys' doubles title with fellow up-and-coming Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. Like his idol Roger Federer, Shapovalov plays with a one-handed backhand. He’s a hard server who’s not afraid to approach the net. He was awarded a wild card into the Rogers Cup main draw, where he’ll be making just his second ATP tour appearance after playing in Washington last week.
Nick Kyrgios: Most hardcore tennis fans will be familiar with the young Australian. Those who only follow the sport tangentially may only know of the 21-year-old’s antics (last year in Montreal, the Australian made headlines after he made an inappropriate comment toward his opponent Stan Wawrinka during a match). Kyrgios plays an aggressive style, and has a mean serve to go along with powerful groundstrokes. It’s not uncommon to see him add some flair to his matches, attempting trick shots even at the most tense of times. Many predict he could be a future No. 1 if his focus remains on tennis.
*Bonus: Kyrgios will play Shapovalov in a highly anticipated first-round match at the Rogers Cup.
Alexander Zverev: Already tapped to be a future star, Germany’s Alexander Zverev has impressed on tour. At just 19 years old, he’s the youngest player ranked in the top 50. Zverev has a big serve and likes to hang around the baseline and hit big groundstrokes. For someone so young, he packs a powerful game and can challenge the top guys. Already Zverev has beaten top players such as Federer (his idol growing up), Marin Cilic and David Goffin. If he wins his first match in Toronto, Zverev will play Raonic in the second round.
Borna Coric: Another rising teen on the tour, Borna Coric is a 19-year-old Croatian player who has been ranked as high as 33 in the world. As it stands now, he’s ranked just outside the top 50, at No. 53 in the world. Coric moves well on the court and can play a counter-punching style, often engaging in long rallies. His style of play has caused tennis observers to dub him “young Djokovic” and like the real Djokovic, Coric has a strong two-handed backhand. If Coric wins his first match, he’ll play No. 5 seed Tomas Berdych in the second round.
Alexandr Dolgopolov: The 37th ranked Ukrainian has an unorthodox style and can often be a thrill to watch live. Dolgopolov remains one of the most unpredictable players on court with his ability to mix defence and offence. An all-court player who isn’t afraid to go for the lines (even if it means racking up the unforced errors), he also uses a variety of slices, volleys and drop shots to deceive opponents. His slice shot is one likely envied by many on the tour.