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Third seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury escaped a thrilling Match Tie-break on Thursday to book their ticket to the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers quarter-finals.

The American-British duo escaped Belgians Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 6-7(3), 6-3, 12-10 to advance after one hour, 50 minutes. In the Match Tie-break, Gille and Vliegen won three consecutive points from 7/9 to earn match point. Ram and Salisbury then tallied three consecutive points themselves, converting their third match point.

Aiming for their first title of the season above ATP 250 level, Ram and Salisbury will next meet Max Purcell and Andrey Rublev, who defeated Americans Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow 7-6(5), 7-6(7).

Eighth seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin, who won in Los Cabos last week, also won after saving two match points against Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul. The Mexican-French team survived 6-3, 6-7(3), 12-10 and will next face second seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer.

Fourth seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden cruised past Jamie Murray and Michael Venus 6-3, 6-3. Sixth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz downed wild cards Nicolas Mahut and Vasek Pospisil 6-2, 6-4.

Andy Murray was forced to withdraw from the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers on Thursday evening. After spending nearly five hours on court across his opening wins against Lorenzo Sonego and Max Purcell, the Briton pulled out ahead of his meeting with Jannik Sinner with an abdominal injury.

"I have an issue with my abdominal so unfortunately I'm not going to be able to play this evening. I'm really sorry," Murray said, addressing the stadium crowd. "I feel like I've let you down. I've rarely been in this situation in my career and I feel terrible."

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It is just Murray's seventh time conceding a walkover in his long career. A three-time champion at the ATP Masters 1000 in Canada (2009, 2010, 2015), the 36-year-old was especially upset given that this might be his last appearance in Toronto. He was seeking his first quarter-final at the event since his 2015 title run, and his first Masters quarter-final since he won the Paris crown in 2016.

"I don't know, this might be my last time playing here as well. So to finish like this feels rubbish," Murray said before thanking the Canadian fans for the support over the years. He also took time to sign autographs before leaving the court.

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz overcame a slow start and a dramatic ending Thursday to down 15th seed Hubert Hurkacz and reach the quarter-finals of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

The Spaniard rallied past Hurkacz 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(3) to extend his winning streak to 14 matches. Alcaraz held a 5-2 lead in the deciding set and served for the match twice before closing the third-round contest on his fifth match point.

"Honestly, I didn't know what happened," Alcaraz said of his third-set slide. "I started feeling bad at that moment. I couldn't feel the right way in my shots. I didn't know what happened. But what I was thinking was to stay calm, try to find a way to overcome the problems and find the good feeling again. I think at 5-6 serving, I started to feel better.

"The big players have that feeling to find a way to stay alive and try to end the match playing well."

Alcaraz struggled to find his best level early, committing unforced forehand errors as the Pole won the first three games of the match for the loss of just three points. A finalist last year in Montreal, Hurkacz played tight to the baseline and took the ball early to push the World No. 1 throughout the two-hour, 38-minute battle.

Daniil Medvedev continued his standout 2023 ATP Masters 1000 record on Thursday when he cruised past Lorenzo Musetti 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

The second seed was watertight off the ground throughout the one-hour, 33-minute clash, hitting with consistency to limit opportunities for Musetti. Medvedev recovered from a dip in concentration in the second set when he squandered his break advantage, but responded immediately to earn his 48th win of the season.

Medvedev is chasing his third Masters 1000 crown of the season, having triumphed in Miami and Rome. He also reached the final in Indian Wells, holding a 22-3 record at Masters 1000 events this year. If the World No. 3 clinches the title in Toronto, he will join Carlos Alcaraz on a Tour-leading six trophies this season.

The 27-year-old, currently third in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin, will next face Taylor Fritz or Alex de Minaur. Medvedev now holds a 9-1 record in Toronto, having triumphed at the Canadian event in 2021.

Musetti was aiming to reach his second Masters 1000 quarter-final of the season after advancing to the last eight on clay in Monte-Carlo. The Italian was unable to sustain any real pressure on Medvedev, who won 82 per cent (28/34) of his first-serve points.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina earned his fifth Top 10 win on Thursday when he claimed a hard-fought 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(4) victory against World No. 5 Casper Ruud at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

After Davidovich Fokina clinched the first set, play was suspended for one hour and 34 minutes due to rain. Ruud came out firing on the resumption and was two points away from victory, leading 5-3, 30/0 in the third set before the Spaniard came roaring back to clinch a thrilling victory after three hours and three minutes in Toronto.

Davidovich Fokina struck 58 winners and played aggressively in the late stages of the deciding set, advancing to his fourth ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.

"I kept very focused on every point," Davidovich Fokina said. "He had the serve to close out the match, but I was focused on every point to be there and not give up. It was very tough. We played long rallies, with a lot of pressure. When I broke for 4-5, it was a show of power to finish the match."

With his first Top 10 win on a hard court, the 24-year-old improved to 2-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Ruud, whose best result this year was a run to the final at Roland Garros. The World No. 37 will meet Mackenzie McDonald in the quarter-finals.

Nick Kyrgios and Jan-Lennard Struff on Thursday withdrew from the US Open, the tournament announced. 

Kyrgios, who was a quarter-finalist last year at Flushing Meadows, has only competed in one event this year — in Stuttgart — due to injury. The Australian missed the entire start of the season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in January and missed Wimbledon due to a torn ligament in his wrist.

Kyrgios' injury-plagued season comes following a standout year in 2022, when he reached the Wimbledon final and won the ATP 500 event in Washington D.C. The 28-year-old, who also partnered Thanasi Kokkinakis to win the 2022 Australian Open doubles crown, earned one of his biggest career wins last year in New York, taking out defending champion Daniil Medvedev in the fourth round.

The German Struff reached a career-high No. 21 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in June following two finalist appearances (Madrid, Stuttgart). Boasting a 16-10 season record, the 33-year-old last competed at the American major in 2021.

Argentines Diego Schwartzman and Facundo Diaz Acosta move into the US Open main draw.

Play has been suspended at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers on Thursday at 1:01 p.m. due to rain.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina leads Norway’s Casper Ruud 7-6(4), 2-3, while Mackenzie McDonald is a break up against Canadian Milos Raonic, leading 3-2 in the first set.

Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev are scheduled to take to court later on Day 4 in third-round action, with Jannik Sinner facing Andy Murray in the second night match at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Toronto.

With Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev losing early at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers, several players have an opportunity to make a move in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin.

Jannik Sinner is in prime position to surge as he pursues qualification for the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held in Turin from 12-19 November.

Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin (entering Toronto R3)

If Sinner defeats former World No. 1 Andy Murray in the Toronto third round, he will ascend to fifth in the Live Race. Another win would see him move into fourth.

“Of course you watch these kinds of things. This is why you also practise for,” Sinner said. “But in the other way, we have practised so, so much in the last couple of weeks. Happy to be here, happy to compete again and against the best players in the world and I will play point after point and then we'll see in the end of the year what's coming." 

Milos Raonic has enjoyed a memorable start to his National Bank Open Presented by Rogers run, advancing to the third round at the Toronto ATP Masters 1000 event despite playing just four matches since the 2021 Atlanta Open.

In Florida, Raonic’s childhood coach Casey Curtis, who taught the Canadian from age eight through 17, has keenly followed along.

“I'm just obviously really happy for him. We've sort of stayed in touch over the last couple years and I know it's been a tough grind for him,” Curtis told ATPTour.com. “I knew that he would show up ready to go. He's not the kind of guy that's going to try to play himself into shape. He's going to make sure he's ready to go before he gets out there and that's sort of exactly what we're seeing.”

After struggling with injury, the former No. 3 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings has quickly found his form to compete against some of the best players in the world and after defeating Frances Tiafoe and Taro Daniel, he is a win against Mackenzie McDonald away from making his first Masters 1000 quarter-final since the 2020 Rolex Paris Masters.

It is no surprise to Curtis, who has watched the 32-year-old’s game develop for nearly 25 years.

Hubert Hurkacz will face the toughest test in tennis on Thursday when he plays World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the third round of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

The pair's first Lexus ATP Head2Head clash came in last year's Miami Open presented by Itau semi-finals, won by Alcaraz 7-6(5), 7-6(2). This will be their first matchup since.

Ahead of the match, ATPTour.com spoke to Hurkacz's coach, Craig Boynton, about how differently he gameplans for the very best players in the world, what makes Alcaraz unique and more.

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Obviously you prepare for every match. But how is it different when it is to compete against Alcaraz or someone at that level?
There are a few people. Take Novak for example — Hubi's played him six or seven times, and however many times he's played him, he hasn't beaten him. So with someone like that, you have to sit down and go, 'Okay, look, we need to change something.'

The stars of the ATP Tour motivate fans throughout the world. They have received plenty of reminders of that this week at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Toronto.

The likes of Andy Murray, Carlos Alcaraz and Andrey Rublev have all received positive hand-written notes from fans each day in their locker as part of Tennis Canada’s Mental Heath initiative.

“It's amazing. When you're playing the matches, obviously you feel the atmosphere and feel the support from the crowd. But you are out there doing it for yourself and your team, predominantly,” Murray said. “But then, whether it's around the practice courts, or sometimes bumping into people in the street, having people say positive, nice things towards you is brilliant.”

When Murray was younger, he felt he was inspiring young kids on the rise just like he was once motivated by the best players in the world.

“I get more comments from 50, 60 year olds now saying, ‘Oh, I've got a metal hip as well’ or, ‘I've got a bad hip and you're inspiring me to keep going’,” Murray said. “So it's changed a little bit over the years, but it's always nice.”

Slowing down is helping speed up Lorenzo Musetti's ATP Tour ascent.

After winning his second-round match at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers Wednesday against Thanasi Kokkinakis, the Italian has now claimed multiple victories in eight consecutive tournaments. The work the 21-year-old has done to earn that consistency stretches beyond forehands and backhands.

“We are focussing on breathing, on trying to take more time, [to not] hurry up in the difficult situations, trying to think and trying to have a plan before starting to serve,” Musetti told ATPTour.com. “Or having a routine to stay relaxed in your heartbeat and your body. I'm working with a psychologist, and also my team, they are involved in it. I think the mix of the things, they're working pretty good.”

Musetti faced a stiff test against Kokkinakis, a qualifier with the game to take on anyone who stands across the net. The Italian faced eight break points in the match across a gruelling two hours and 52 minutes, but was able to persevere, saving six of those break chances.

“I'm doing [the work] constantly every day. It keeps improving my game, my mentality. And today was probably the result of this work, and this work ethic that I try to improve and try to learn every day,” Musetti said. “I'm focussing really [on] each practice to try to get better and stay in the right focus. And today, it helped me to win the match because Thanasi was playing really good.”

Hubert Hurkacz and Mate Pavic upset top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski on Wednesday at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

The Polish-Croatian pair fired 14 aces to defeat the defending champions 6-7(2), 7-6(2), 10-5 and book their ticket to the Toronto quarter-finals. Koolhof served for the match at 6-5 in the second set before Hurkacz and Pavic mounted a comeback, with the 26-year-old Pole ripping a forehand return winner on break point to push the Dutch-British team to a second-set tie-break. 

Hurkacz and Pavic will next meet Nicolas Mahut and Vasek Pospisil or Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz. Koolhof and Skupski, who are No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, were competing in their first match since collecting the Wimbledon title.

Second seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek didn't fare any better, falling 6-3, 7-6(4) to Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer in their first outing as a pair since a second-round exit at Wimbledon.

In other doubles action, eighth seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin downed Tallon Griekspoor and Jiri Lehecka 6-2, 6-7(6), 10-6 to maintain their form following last week's triumph in Los Cabos. The Mexican-French duo also won the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami and in Marseille earlier this season.

Carlos Alcaraz survived a competitive battle with Ben Shelton Wednesday night in Toronto in his first outing since winning Wimbledon, fending off his fellow #NextGenATP star to reach the third round of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

With Shelton committed to an aggressive gameplan and the top-seeded Spaniard making more errors than normal, little separated the players for the majority of the match, save for one break of serve in the fourth game.

That was the last break point Alcaraz would earn, but he ultimately claimed a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory to extend his winning streak to 13 matches, dating back to his title run at Queen’s.

"I tried to play my level but it wasn't easy," Alcaraz said. "He was more aggressive than me from the beginning to the last ball. I tried to be solid and to get my rhythm and I'm really happy to be through to have an opportunity in the next round.

"This match will help me to be more focussed in the next round, to put my game first in the beginning of the match."

Italian Jannik Sinner maintained his perfect tour-level record against countrymen on Wednesday when he moved past Matteo Berrettini 6-4, 6-3 at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

The 21-year-old Sinner outmanoeuvred the Italian with his destructive ball striking, gaining the decisive break of the first set in the 10th game before he raced through the second set to advance after one hour and 32 minutes in Toronto.

"It was a very tough match playing against Matteo as we know each other very well. I just tried to play my tennis but it's tough because there's not a lot of rhythm because he serves so well,” Sinner said. “Every break point in his service games is important and I managed to win some somehow.

"The second set was 6-3 but I was under pressure a couple of times at 0/30 and I tried to serve it out somehow. It was not an easy first match."

Sinner holds a 9-0 tour-level record against Italians, with Wednesday’s victory his first against Berrettini. The seventh seed will play former World No. 1 Andy Murray or Max Purcell in the third round.

Mackenzie McDonald caused one of the biggest upsets of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers on Wednesday when he eliminated sixth seed Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-3 in Toronto.

The American will now have a chance to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final when he plays former World No. 3 Milos Raonic on Thursday. ATPTour.com caught up with the former UCLA star last month to learn more about his interests off the court.

If you could have dinner with three people, who would they be and why?
I wish I could go Kobe Bryant. Kobe, Bob Marley and John Wooden, UCLA legend.   

What did you admire about Kobe?
Everything. The guy is one of my favourite competitors of all time.   

If you could switch places with one person for a day who would it be?
LeBron James.

Gael Monfils in full flight can be a hard juggernaut to stop — as Stefanos Tsitsipas found out Wednesday at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

The Frenchman delivered a dazzling second-round display to upset the fourth-seeded Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-3 at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Toronto. An energised Monfils, playing just his 11th match of the year due to injury, produced several moments of breathtaking power and skill en route to a one-hour, 25-minute triumph.

Wednesday’s win was Monfils’ 350th tour-level triumph on hard courts and can be seen as a statement that the 36-year-old is getting back to his crowd-pleasing best after limited appearances in 2023. The Frenchman converted three of six break points he earned to down Tsitsipas, an ATP 250 champion in Los Cabos just four days ago.

“I knew that Stef had a lot of confidence,” said Monfils after the match. “He would try to go for his shots. I tried to put a lot of balls in, tried to hit quite heavy and not let him dictate too much. I think I did it well.”

Highlights of Monfils’ performance included a trademark jumping forehand in the eighth game of the first set and a 188 km/h forehand winner to bring up set point two games later. It was Monfils’ first win against a Top 5 opponent since he defeated then-World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in Indian Wells last year.

Former champion Daniil Medvedev continued his impressive record in Toronto on Wednesday when he defeated Italian Matteo Arnaldi 6-2, 7-5 at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

The second seed is now 8-1 in Toronto, having lifted the title in 2021. Competing for the first time since his run to the semi-finals at Wimbledon, Medvedev looked in control in his opening match at this year's event, standing deep behind the baseline to outlast Arnaldi in the baseline exchanges.

”Yeah I felt great,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “I could have done a little bit better in the second set, but at the same time I saved break points in two or three games, so pretty good match. From here I need to improve.

“Pretty hot conditions like usual in US summer, so I need to get used to it. In the second set I was already tired, but that is normal. Two or three matches and you are used to it. I looking forward to the next days.”

He saved all three break points he faced, struck 29 winners and fended off an Arnaldi resurgence in the second set to improve to 2-0 in the pair's Lexus ATP Head2Head series after one hour, 26 minutes. In the third round the 27-year-old will meet Lorenzo Musetti, after the Italian downed Thanasi Kokkinakis 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.

Before players enjoy glory on the ATP Tour, they must first pass the ATP Challenger Tour. One of the longest-running Italian Challenger tournaments, the Serena Wines 1881 - Acqua Maniva Tennis Cup, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this week, has witnessed this first hand. The Challenger 75 event has hosted world-class players before they became household names. 

World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz was a finalist in Cordenons just three years ago as a 17 year old. In 2013, Pablo Carreno Busta was crowned champion two weeks after he cracked the Top 100 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time.

Though fans have seen a plethora of talent come through Cordenons, tournament director Serena Raffin has also endured through hardship to continue the tournament. In 2013, her father and tournament founder Eddi Raffin suffered a heart attack, passing away aged 61. While the event celebrates the 20-year milestone this week, the memory of Eddi lives on.

“It is special because I feel he is with me. It’s a strange feeling. I feel he is proud of me,” Serena said. “I thought it was impossible, but nothing is impossible. You can always try to find a different solution. We found it and I think my father is happy.”

Eddi casted a vision to host tournaments in Italy and little did he know how much the Cordenons Challenger would impact the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. It is now seen as the big event in that region and fans can catch a glimpse of pro tennis for just six euros.