Quebecer Félix Auger-Aliassime will be the eighth seed in the National Bank Open next week in Montreal, where he will try to get his hands on his first career Masters 1000 title.
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This is what the organizers announced on Monday. FAA, ninth racquet in the world, gains a place among the favorites due to the absence of Alexander Zverev, and should also gain another when the withdrawal of Novak Djokovic – not vaccinated – is confirmed, by the draw Friday’s lot.
Until then, Auger-Aliassime will try to prepare by participating in the ATP 250 tournament in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. He will begin his journey in the second round on Tuesday against the winner of the match between Alex Hernandez and John Millman.
This will be his first tournament on hard court after the grass season which did not end very well for him. Indeed, he was knocked out in quick succession in the first round at Wimbledon and Newport.
In Montreal, he will try to do better than in 2019 when he was knocked out in the third round. Last year in Toronto, he was dismissed from the start.
His compatriot Denis Shapovalov, 22e in the world, will also be there. This week he is in Washington (ATP 500), where he is the sixth favorite to win. He will face Wednesday in the second round the winner of a duel between JJ Wolf and Taro Daniel.
The best
Installed at the top of the ATP rankings, Daniil Medvedev will obviously be the favorite in Montreal. Five times champion of the tournament, the Spaniard Rafaël Nadal will be second seeded in front of his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz.
When hostilities begin at the IGA stadium, 14 of the top 16 players in the world are expected to be present.
“It’s a good feeling to welcome the best ATP players back to Montreal,” said Eugene Lapierre, manager of the National Bank Open in Montreal, in a press release. Players love coming to Montreal because they know the stadium will be full of passionate fans who support them.”