The pinnacle of the Canadian tennis calendar, the National Bank Open, has come and gone, but the tennis world keeps moving. Particularly for the Canadian men, whom the injury bug bit badly in Montreal, the Cincinnati Open provides an early opportunity for a bounce-back.
And that's exactly what the Canadian No. 1 did over the weekend.
Here's what you need to know.
In Case You Missed It: Canadian Men Win in Returns from Injury
While it probably does not make up for missing his home Masters 1000 event, Félix Auger-Aliassime looked just fine in his return on Sunday at the next 1000-level event on the calendar. The Montrealer defeated former Top 5 player Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in his opening match at the Cincinnati Open.
A back injury suffered in practice had forced the Canadian No. 1 to miss the National Bank Open in Montreal earlier this month.
Cincinnati is a fairly quiet event on the Canadian front, with only four Canucks entering and only one of the three playing singles, Auger-Aliassime, still in the tournament.
Denis Shapovalov also bounced back from an injury in Montreal, winning his opening match in Cincinnati over Adrian Mannarino in straight sets. However, despite holding a 5-1 lead in the third set of his second-round match against 12th seed Rafael Jodar, the Richmond Hillian was unable to finish the job as the Spaniard fought back to steal the win 7-5 in the third.
Leylah Annie Fernandez was the lone Canadian competing in the women's singles. She lost her opening match to Xiyu Wang in three sets.
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What to Watch: Opening for Auger-Aliassime
Action continues in Cincinnati this week with Félix Auger-Aliassime looking to make an impact as the No. 2 seed in southwest Ohio. The Montrealer plays Juan Manuel Cerundolo, who upset Jannik Sinner at Roland-Garros, in the third round.
If he reaches round four, the Canadian will have his hands full with a seeded American, either No. 16 Learner Tien or No. 17 Francis Tiafoe. In the quarter-finals, the only seed he could face is No. 10 Lorenzo Musetti.
Potential semifinal opponents for Auger-Aliassime include No. 4 Daniil Medvedev, No. 6 Taylor Fritz, No. 13 Andrey Rublev, No. 23 Joao Fonseca, or Montreal runner-up Brandon Nakashima.
Two Canadians women are competing in doubles, both with high-profile partners.
Gabriela Dabrowski is joining forces with seven-time Grand Slam doubles champion Barbora Krejcikova. They are facing off with fourth seeds Cristina Busca and Nicole Melichar-Martinez on Monday. A win would set up a round-two clash with Marie Bouzkova and Linda Noskova.
Leylah Annie Fernandez's trip to Cincinnati is not finished. She is playing doubles alongside Sara Errani, who just reached the Toronto final last week. They open against Mirra Andreeva and Sorana Cristea with Hao Ching Chan and Maya Joint waiting in round two.
Under the Radar:
Canada may have gone title-less on the pro tours last week, but there was plenty of Canadian action.
Read also: Auger-Aliassime, Diallo, Draxl, and Chan join Team Canada for Davis Cup Qualifiers in Quebec City
The U16 and U12 Fischer Outdoor Junior Nationals are wrapping up, while the U14 event will get underway later in the week.
Just because the National Bank Open is over, it does not mean that professional tennis is done in Canada. Action continues this week in Quebec City with the Challenger Banque Nationale Quebec, an ATP Challenger event with a loaded field.
You can follow the Canadians in action every week here.
The Davis Cup is coming to Quebec City September 18 and 19 as Team Canada hosts France in the Davis Cup Qualifiers Second Round. Tickets are on sale now. CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKETS!
Feature Photo: Fabrice Michel
