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FollowRogers Cup Main Draw Set as Qualifying Concludes in Toronto
TORONTO – There will be no more Canadians added to the Singles Draw in Toronto, but the home country is nevertheless well-represented at this week's Rogers Cup.
With the first round kicking off on Monday, Sunday saw the final day of the Qualifying Draw with seven spots to be filled for the Rogers Cup main draw. Of the 14 matchups on Sunday, only one Canadian was participating.
Following his win on Saturday versus fellow Canadian Kelsey Stevenson, Vancouver's Philip Bester advanced to Sunday's final round in hopes of entering the tournament's Singles Draw. Unfortunately for Bester, though, Colombia's Alejandro Gonzalez had other ideas, defeating Bester 6-1, 7-6(4). Sunday marked the second time in as many days that Gonzalez eliminated a Canadian, having beaten Benjamin Sigouin on Saturday.
Gonzalez advances to the Singles Draw where his first-round opponent will be the 12th-seeded Bernard Tomic of Austria.
Other qualifiers advancing on Sunday include Emilio Gomez of Ecuador and Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic in addition to four Americans, most notably 28-year-old Tim Smyczek.
A native of Milwaukee, WI, Smyczek had an easy time on Saturday as he defeated Canadian Jack Mingjie Lin 6-1, 6-3. On Sunday, though, he faced a tough test against Irishman Jack McGee but prevailed anyway, winning 7-5, 4-6, 7-5.
Smyczek, who is currently ranked 120th in the world, will open on Monday afternoon when he takes on former top-seeded Canadian Peter Polansky.
Speaking of Canadians, Toronto's Steven Diez kicks off the Singles Draw on Monday when he faces Britain's Kyle Edmund.
On Monday evening, reigning Wimbledon Junior champion Denis Shapovalov will hope to get his Rogers Cup start off on the right foot when he battles Australia's Nick Kyrgios at 7pm on Centre Court. That will be immediately followed by Frank Dancevic, the 31-year-old native of Niagara Falls, Ontario, taking on American Sam Querrey.
The matches are now all set for the Singles Draw. We will see what Monday has in store as we eagerly await the kick-off to the 2016 Rogers Cup.