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By Chris Oddo | Saturday, August 2, 2014

 
Novak Djokovic, Rogers Cup

Novak Djokovic's could be tested early at the Rogers Cup, and so could Roger Federer.

Photo Source: Dave Abel/Toronto Sun

Novak Djokovic’s honeymoon is officially over, as the top seed at next week’s Rogers Cup in Toronto was handed a difficult draw that could see him face Gael Monfils or Radek Stepanek, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Andy Murray, all before the semifinals.

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“Terrible draw,” were the world No. 1’s exact words in reference to the draw.

Djokovic, who was present at the draw ceremony in Toronto, still couldn’t help but feel positive, with a Wimbledon title and an emotional wedding to his longtime girlfriend Jelena Ristic occurring in July, the seven-time Grand Slam champion has certainly had time to recharge his batteries.

“It’s been probably the best month I’ve had in my life with Wimbledon title, with wedding and of course a baby coming up,” Djokovic said, according to the Canadian Press. “I’m going back to the business, back to my office, but of course filled with positive energy, with joy, all the beautiful emotions that a person can experience right now. Hopefully I can use that to perform well on the tennis court.”

If the three-time Rogers Cup champion can keep his form and reach the semis, he could face either Stan Wawrinka or Grigor Dimitrov.

In the bottom half of the draw, Roger Federer could face a stiff challenge in his opening match as well, as Jerzy Janowicz will be his opponent if he gets by Canadian wild card Peter Polansky.

Federer defeated Janowicz in the pair’s only career battle in Rome last year, but they have never played on a hard court.

Federer could face Marin Cilic in the third round, and David Ferrer in the quarterfinals. If he reaches the semis, the Swiss maestro’s semifinal opponent could be Tomas Berdych, Milos Raonic or Ernests Gulbis.

Andy Murray’s second-round match could also be challenging, as the 2012 U.S. Open champion could end up facing wild card Nick Kyrgios or Santiago Giraldo. Kyrgios, the man who defeated top-seeded Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon, is the highest-ranked teenager on the ATP Tour, and the only one in the top 100 at No. 69 in the world.

Main draw play in Toronto begins Monday. Federer is slated to play his first match on Tuesday, while Djokovic and Murray will begin their campaigns on Wednesday.

Click here for a peek at the official draw.

***Editors Note: A previous edition of this article incorrectly listed Djokovic's ranking as No. 2 instead of No. 1

 

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