Nadal, Djokovic Near Semifinal Clash in Toronto

Battle for No. 1 – World No. 1 Roger Federer’s hopes of retaining the top ranking in coming weeks took a major hit with his departure against Gilles Simon in the second round. Should World No. 2 Rafael Nadal now go on and win the Rogers Cup this week, the Spaniard would have the chance next week at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters in Cincinnati to dethrone Federer, who has held top spot in the South African Airways Rankings for 234 consecutive weeks (since February 2004). Nadal is 770 points behind Federer this week but could cut that lead to a mere 275 points should he win the Rogers Cup, which he did in Montreal in 2005.

Former Champions in Contention – Two former champions remain in the hunt for a second title at the Rogers Cup. Rafael Nadal triumphed in 2005 with victory over Andre Agassi in the final and victory this year would severely cut Federer’s lead at the top of the South African Airways ATP Rankings. Defending champion Novak Djokovic defeated Federer in last year’s final, having knocked out No. 3 Roddick in the quarterfinals and No. 2 Nadal in the semifinals to become the first player to defeat the World’s Top 3 since Boris Becker in October 1994 in Stockholm. The Serb is looking to become the first player to win back-to-back titles in Canada since Andre Agassi triumphed in 1994-5.

Young Guns Lead The Way – At the age of 31, Nicolas Kiefer is the oldest player left in the draw. James Blake follows aged 28, while the rest of the field is aged 23 or younger. The 19-year-old Marin Cilic remains as the youngest player left in contention. (ATP Digital Services)