MONTREAL, June 28, 2017 (Press Release)
In 2017, Rogers Cup presented by National Bank will not only showcase the best players in the world, but it will also feature an array of activities that make the tournament a can’t miss event.
Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov will play Tuesday afternoon
Tournament Director Eugène Lapierre confirmed that Canada’s rising stars, Félix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov, who both received a wildcard into the main draw, will play their first round matches during the afternoon session on Tuesday August 8 starting at 12:30 p.m.. This means that Auger-Aliassime, who recently became the seventh youngest player in history to win an ATP Challenger Tour title, will play his first main draw match at Rogers Cup on the day of his seventeenth birthday. For his part, Shapovalov will be looking to repeat his performance from last year in Toronto when he defeated Aussie Nick Kyrgios in the opening round.
Time for baseball
After staging successful games pitting ATP players against professional hockey and soccer players in years past, baseball will be added to the Milk Family Weekend programming in 2017. Former Montreal Expos players Claude Raymond, Denis Boucher, and Derek Aucoin will try and lead their team to victory against some top tennis players in a game that will be played on National Bank Court in the heart of the Expos’ former home: Jarry Park.
IT’S BACK…
The Mini Rogers Cup finals, a tournament for children between the ages of 5 and 12, organized with the help of Tennis Québec and Tennis Montréal, will be back for a sixth consecutive year on August 5 and 6. The winners of the different categories will face off on the mini tennis courts at Olympic Park and Louis-Riel Park for the chance to be honoured on Centre Court during the week of Rogers Cup.
Several popular activities will also be returning on site this year, including open practice sessions featuring the best players in the world to kick off Milk Family Weekend on Friday August 4. The day will conclude with the official draw ceremony which is also open to the public. The Sportsnet Ball Hockey Challenge presented Knapper will be played on Saturday August 5 with the likes of Alex Burrows, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Antoine Roussel taking part. On Sunday August 6, two teams of celebrities will battle on National Bank Court starting at 2 p.m..
Spectators will be happy to learn that their Rogers Cup ticket once again gives them access to free public transportation thanks to the STM. Tennis Canada and the STM are pleased to promote this initiative given the limited parking available around Uniprix Stadium and also to respect the tournament’s green plan which is celebrating its 10th anniversary and will be supported by RECYC-QUÉBEC in 2017.
Rogers Cup presented by National Bank will be held from August 4-13, 2017 with the best ATP players in the world facing off in Montreal while the top WTA players will be in Toronto. There are still tickets available for both tournaments at: www.RogersCup.com.
