Rogers Cup 2014: A sneak peek into the US Open script?

Novak Djokovic at the Toronto 2012 tournament

The Rogers Cup draw is teeming with possibilities, offering the prospect of an exciting week in the run up to the US Open. The ticket to the Rexall Centre in Toronto this week could be the one to chase this coming week in Toronto, with some of biggest names on the ATP World Tour sharpening their wares at Toronto as they prepare for the final Grand Slam event on the calendar.

Novak Djokovic will be an obvious favourite, but his path to the weekend is riddled with Frenchmen willing to bring him down. Milos Raonic will find vocal support as the favourite son; besides, he also has to defend the points he accumulated by reaching the final last year. Roger Federer is never shy of adding another title to his overflowing bag and Andy Murray would like to stop his slide by fixing his sails in Toronto. All that and more guarantees us an intriguing week in prospect and some very fine hard court tennis.

The withdrawal of Rafael Nadal from the Toronto and Cincinnati Masters opens the door for other players to step in and fill the void left by the defending champion. The Spaniard was on a tear around this time last year, turning serial winner on the hard courts of North America. Right now, he is resting his right wrist, neatly wound in a cast that is expected to stay on for two to three weeks. That will leave Nadal barely any time to prepare for his defence at the US Open.

A two week preparation for the real prize

By the time we get to Flushing Meadows, we should have far better insight into the form and shape of the players that might play invaders to Nadal’s reign in New York. The usual suspects – Djokovic, Federer and Murray – will have turned their wheels enough to prepare their arsenal for the battles at the Billie Jean King Tennis Centre in New York. But the clock is turning quickly these days, and the younger brigade is beginning to rear its head and threaten the hegemony of the big four.

Among the main contenders who might herald an upheaval are Raonic and Grigor Dimitrov, two men who have already run deep at Grand Slam events before falling to the men who still rule the roost. The two hardcourt Slams – US Open and Australian Open – offer these young men the surface and platform to storm the seemingly impregnable bastion of the reigning stars. But before they get there, they would do well to impose their newfound confidence on Toronto and Cincinnati to set the tone for greater conquests.

Milos Raonic has an opportunity this week in Toronto

A demanding draw in Toronto

Djokovic, whose tournament it will be to lose this week, begins against either Gael Monfils or Radek Stepanek. Both those men have battled injury in the recent past but possess the game and guile to trouble the Serbian. If the newly married World No. 1 hasn’t snapped out of his celebratory mood yet, these players are seasoned enough to surprise him, even though an early upset is unlikely. Next in the line of fire is Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who had a miserable outing against Djokovic in front of his home fans when the two played at the French Open.

Andy Murray has been charged with the task of putting Nick Kyrgios in his place, provided the young Aussie manages to get past Santiago Giraldo in the first round. If the Scot gets past that intriguing test, he could face a stiff test in the form of either Richard Gasquet or Vasek Pospisil, the latter of whom seems to be finally finding his tools after a lengthy period of gloom.

Further afield there is a likely meeting between Kei Nishikori and Dominic Thiem, who just lost the Kitzbuhel final to David Goffin. Dimitrov is drawn in the same neighbourhood, with a possible meeting against Donald Young before he could face the winner between Nishikori and Thiem.

Ernests Gulbis seems to have slipped down the pipe again after a promising performance in Paris, so a contest between the Latvian and Lleyton Hewitt can help warm the chairs before Raonic battles Tomas Berdych in the quarters from this relatively lighter section.

Roger Federer might be asked a few early questions when he faces Jerzy Janowicz before he can face up to the beligerent serves of Marin Cilic. David Ferrer’s match against John Isner could inform us about the Spaniard’s chances of a good outcome from the US Open series.

Can the young men step up and take the mantle?

It is clear by now – especially on the evidence from Wimbledon – that the big guys are not ready to lay over and make way for the new generation. So in these coming two weeks, at Toronto and Cincinnati, all eyes will be on men such as Nishikori, Thiem, Pospisil, Raonic and Dimitrov to see if they are mentally ready for the challenge of taking on the big guns and firing past them.

Over the past few years, barely anyone outside the magnificent four have managed to claim sustained success at the Masters events. Federer (21) and Nadal (27) have accounted for 48 titles together, and Djokovic can also join the club if he wins this week to take his 20th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Canada.

The consistency of the top men has been one of the most outstanding aspects of this glittering era of tennis. The fact that Goffin had to wait till he turned 23 years old to claim his first tour title stands testimony to the difficulty of winning titles in this Golden Age.

But there are clear signs that the tide is turning. And now would be a good time for the younger lot to free themselves of any encumbrances and express themselves with the freedom that is associated with their youthful manner. With so many quality contests this week, it would be a good idea to keep an eye on Toronto this week.