Rogers Cup Update...

The Rogers Cup is shaping up to be one of the best tournaments of 2009 - yes, including the Grand Slams. For the first time in the history of the ATP tour, the top 8 seeds made it to the quarterfinals of the draw. Now some might say that there is something boring about the lack of upsets through the first few rounds, but I couldn't be more excited. The top 8 seeds also represent the top 8 ranked players in the world. I ask you when are we going to see this kind of draw again on a neutral surface (unquestionably, an outdoor hard-court is the most neutral of the surfaces)?

This tournament also features the return of no other than Rafael Nadal, making his first tournament appearance since the French Open and since losing his no. 1 ranking. Just this aspect alone is reason for elation. There are so many questions that this tournament will answer and raise about the Spaniard - are his knees better?, has his conditioning slipped?, is he match tough?, will he be back to number 1?

The quarterfinal match-ups proved to be some of the most exciting matches of the year. To begin the day, Andy Murray (no. 3) dispatched Davydenko (no. 8) 6-2, 6-4 in a very routine manner. Clearly, we see Andy Murray is on a quest for the top. Next, the world's number one, Roger Federer, faced-off against Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (no. 7) in what was expected to be a typical quarterfinal match for Roger. But this match proved to be anything but typical as Tsonga came back from a 5-1 deficit in the third set to win in a tiebreaker. Am I surprised, shocked, awed? Yes, but we all know that Roger has been distracted the past few weeks with the birth of his twin daughters. The most important question that faces Roger is whether or not he will be able to regain his form for the U.S. Open. Oddly enough, I think he will.

On the other side of the draw, we saw a hard hitting match-up between rivals Andy Roddick (no. 5) and Novak Djokovic (no. 4). Roddick's new found conditioning and confidence were overwhelming for the Serb as Andy triumphed 6-4, 7-6 (4). In the last quarterfinal matchup, we finally got to see Nadal tested against a top ranked opponent in Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro. Del Potro, fresh off a Master's Series victory at Legg Mason, was in top form and dismantled the Spaniard 7-6 (5), 6-1. This match featured incredible points, beautiful shotmaking, but left me scratching my head about both players. First, I thought Nadal looked good, but not great and nowhere near his top form. I wonder whether or not he will be a threat at the Open, the jury is out. And as far as Del Potro is concerned, I have serious doubts about his fitness and conditioning. After last weekend's final against Roddick, the Argentine cramped in the locker room after three long sets. Last night, he looked very tired and was breathing hard after one grueling set with Rafa. How will Del Potro fair in Flushing Meadows in best-of-five matches over two weeks?

Many experts say that the Rogers Cup foretells the results at the U.S. Open and if that is true, we will have a champion who doesn't bear either the name Roger or Rafa.