Lleyton Hewitt /Getty Images

Nadal, Roddick, Hewitt in Action

August 9, 2005 - Top seed Rafael Nadal begins his bid for his third ATP Masters Series title this year (Monte Carlo, Rome) and his first career hard court title on Tuesday. The 19-year-old Spaniard enters Montreal with a 59-8 match record on the season and eight titles, including his first Grand Slam crown at Roland Garros (d. Puerta).

After winning his last tournament in Stuttgart, the World No. 2 clinched a spot in the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai becoming the youngest player in more than a decade to do so. Nadal is riding a 34-match winning streak on clay and looking to improve his 10-4 record on hard courts in 2005. In his only previous appearance at the Rogers Masters (2004), Nadal lost in the opening round to Lleyton Hewitt.

Nadal will battle countryman Carlos Moya in the first round blockbuster. The much awaited match pits the Roland Garros champions (Nadal in 2005, Moya in 1998) against each other for the third time with the series tied 1-1. Moya won their last meeting 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals of Umag in 2003, while Nadal claimed victory earlier in 2003 at ATP Masters Series Hamburg 7-5, 6-4. The duo will play for the first time on hard courts, with the winner moving on to face Brazilian Ricardo Mello. Also in that quarter is rising teen and No. 15 seed Richard Gasquet, a 6-3, 7-6(3) winner over Russian Mikhail Youzhny in the opening round.

Second seed Lleyton Hewitt makes his sixth consecutive appearance here as he opens Court Central play on Tuesday. Hewitt, currently No. 3 in the INDESIT ATP Entry Rankings, will look to improve on his 5-5 record at the Rogers Masters. The Australian holds a 26-6 record with one title (Sydney) so far in 2005. The former World No. 1 finished as finalist at the Australian Open where he lost to Marat Safin 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 and ATP Masters Series Indian Wells losing to Federer 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.

Hewitt will play qualifier Florent Serra for the first time in the opening round. Serra, a regular on the challenger circuit, has won two ATP matches this year (2-4). Hewitt's first test could come in the quarterfinals where he's scheduled to meet No. 7 seed Guillermo Coria or former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Third seed and 2003 winner Andy Roddick carries is 19-3 Rogers Masters record into Tuesday action as he attempts to win his fifth ATP title of the year following victories in San Jose (d. Sauliner), Houston (d. Grosjean), London / Queen's Club (d. Karlovic) and Washington (d. Blake). In addition to winning the title here in 2003, the No. 1 American reached the finals in 2002 (l. to Canas) and 2004 (l. to Federer). Roddick's 44-9 record this season puts him in the No. 5 position in the INDESIT ATP Entry Rankings.

Roddick will open Tuesday evening play against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu, a quarterfinalist in Chennai and Estoril this year. The two will face off for the first time. Roddick is not scheduled to meet his first seed until the third round where he could face No. 14 Radek Stepanek. Other seeds in Roddick's quarter are No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko, a 6-1, 6-2 winner over Canadian wild card Frederic Niemeyer in the first round, and No. 9 David Nalbandian, a 6-4, 6-1 winner over fellow Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela.

In another exciting first round match, No. 7 seed Guillermo Coria will take on former World No. 1 and 2003 Roland Garros champion Juan Carlos Ferrero. Coria has compiled a 44-15 record in 2005, while Ferrero holds a 31-17 record. A two-time ATP Masters Series finalist this year (Monte Carlo, Rome), Coria claimed his lone title of 2005 two weeks ago in Umag. Ferrero's best finish of the season came in Barcelona where he reached the finals (l. to Nadal).

Coria and Ferrero are returning to the hard courts for the first time since both played at the ATP Masters Series Miami in March. The clay-court kings will face each other for the sixth time, with Coria edging Ferrero 3-2. The Argentine claimed all three of their 2005 meetings, while Ferrero won their first two meetings. Each holds a victory over the other in ATP Masters Series events (Ferrero won in Monte Carlo in 2003; Coria won in Monte Carlo in 2005). Their only meeting on hard courts came at the 2005 Australian Open in which Coria won 6-3, 6-2, 6-1.

Nicolas Kiefer will open play on Court National Bank against Chilean Nicolas Massu. In six appearances, Kiefer, a semifinalist here in 1999 and 2004, has compiled an impressive 12-6 record at the Rogers Masters. Massu is making his third consecutive appearance and is looking to pick up his first win. The two will play against each other for the first time on Tuesday.

No. 13 seed Ivan Ljubicic will take on American Taylor Dent for the third time with the series tied 1-1. Dent won their last and only meeting on hard courts during the Athens Olympics in 2004. In their first meting, Ljubicic ousted Dent from Wimbledon in 2003. Ljubicic carries a 33-15 record into Montreal, while Dent, a finalist last month on the hard courts in Indianapolis holds a 27-13 record this season. Ljubicic will play at the Rogers Masters for the fifth time (2-4 record), while Dent will play here for only the second time (2-1 record).

Asian No. 1 Paradorn Srichaphan will face Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean for the first time since 2003. Srichaphan won that match up on the hard courts in Tokyo, while Grosjean claimed a win over Srichaphan in Sydney in 2002. Srichaphan is coming off a semifinal finish in Washington (l. to Roddick), while Grosjean is looking for only his second win since reaching the quarterfinals of Wimbledon (l. to Roddick).

One of the most accessible tournaments

The Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is more accessible than ever thanks to the Uniprix Zone, Neighbourhood Day, and Tide & Downy Family Day.

Excellent tickets are still available for all sessions on Centre Court and for the National Bank Court. Tickets start at just $10, with the final weekend starting at just $40. For more information on this tournament or to buy tickets, call (514) 273-1515 (toll free 1-866-338-2685).

MORE NEWS+ HOME