TORONTO -- Just as the Rogers Cup in Toronto was coming to an end after more than a week of sublime weather, a perfect storm hit the Rogers Cup women's event, which will begin today in Montreal.
In the 125th anniversary year of the Canadian championships, Roger Federer capped probably the most successful event ever in Toronto with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 win yesterday over Richard Gasquet.
Amid all the statistics that come with each of the world No. 1's conquests, here is one more. Federer has played 193 matches in a row, dating back to a loss to Gustavo Kuerten at the 2004 French Open, without losing in straight sets. In other words, he has not had a truly bad match in what is approximately the equivalent of three quarters (counting weekends and holidays) of a working person's normal year. That borders on astounding.
The 2006 Rogers Cup was likely a watershed for the tournament in Toronto.
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Close to record attendance, an uncanny number of entertaining matches and a palpable growth in enthusiasm for tennis at the Rexall Centre indicated it is becoming as ingrained a fixture of the summer social calendar as the Montreal event, which flourishes amid annual celebrations such as the jazz and Just For Laughs festivals.
Luckily for the latter, trumpeters and percussionists don't get injured often, nor do comedians.
The bad news in Montreal began last Wednesday when world No. 1 and Wimbledon champion Amélie Mauresmo (shoulder) and Venus Williams (wrist) pulled out, followed by 2003 champion Justine Henin-Hardenne (knee) on Thursday, Mary Pierce (leg) on Friday and Maria Sharapova on Saturday.
The first four appear to have legitimate injuries, but Sharapova, after losing to Elena Dementieva 7-5, 6-2 in the Los Angeles semi-finals, after a victory the week before in San Diego, said she could not play because of fatigue.
"I've played nine matches in the last 13 days," she said. "I was even tired in the warm-up."
When Sharapova revealed at Wimbledon that she would play three weeks in a row this summer, she sort of shrugged her shoulders at the prospect of such a heavy a load -- an ominous portent.
"I can't say why Maria chose that schedule," said Stacey Allaster, the former Toronto Rogers Cup tournament director who is now the president of the WTA Tour. "She is a professional. She probably felt she wanted to see how she did in those other events. But we all know that in today's game it's impossible to play three weeks in a row in this demanding competitive environment."
In another twist, former No. 1 Lindsay Davenport, who had not played since March (bulging disc in her back) before losing in her opening round in Los Angeles last week, wanted to play in Montreal.
But she was denied a wild card because she had not signed her commitment for the second half of 2006. Davenport, 30, did not sign because she did not want to enter events she might not be able to play, while Sharapova signed, but then bailed out.
Allaster said tour chief executive officer Larry Scott, "made tough decisions based on our rules" regarding Davenport. Any solution to the injury and fatigue problem in terms of rearranging or shortening the yearly calendar is endlessly and enormously complicated. Tournaments with storied pasts and financial commitments are not about to disappear just to create more rest time.
And nothing will change until 2009. The 2007 schedule is set and 2008 is an Olympic year, which further crowds the schedule.
Allaster insists the tour is working on its Roadmap 2010 plan to, among other things, improve the fields for marquee events. On her way to Montreal, she was in Toronto on Saturday to present an award named in her honour.
"What's going on is unacceptable and incredibly disappointing," she said. "It's bittersweet for me to come home, that's for sure."
So, Montreal tournament director Eugène Lapierre has to make the best of a bad situation.
Asked yesterday whether there had been any more pullouts, Lapierre had not lost his sense of humour. "It's my first day without one," he said. "Don't ruin it."
Five to watch
Kim Clijsters: The defending champion took a pass on the third of her customary three California tournaments and comes in, after a week off, as the clear favourite.
Martina Hingis: Flagging a bit after the early flush of her highly publicized 2006 return, she would love to repeat her 1999 and 2000 victories.
Nicole Vaidisova: Like Clijsters and Hingis, the Czech took last week off. She may not quite have as much game as Maria Sharapova.
Aleksandra Wozniak: The 19-year-old Canadian is a big hitter and could surprise Ai Sugiyama.
Martina Navratilova: "Granny" is playing the doubles. Turning 50 in October, she is near the end of what should be her final farewell.
