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Chinese men have been lighting up the ATP Challenger Tour recently, none more so than Zhang Zhizhen, who recently won his third Challenger title. After back-to-back runner-up finishes in Luedenscheid, Germany and Trieste, Italy it was a trip to Cordenons, Italy where Zhang collected his first Challenger title of the season.

“My emotions after winning were quite happy, because it was the third time for me this year to reach a final and the last two I lost. In Luedenscheid, it was hard to win the match, but in Trieste it was quite close in three sets. There was a chance, but I didn’t catch it.

“This time (Cordenons), after losing the first set, I was thinking ‘Oh shoot, again, one more time (I’m going to lose), I don’t want it to be like that.’ So, when I won the last point I was really excited,” he said.

This past week, Zhang and Shang Juncheng became the first Chinese duo to win Challenger titles in the same week (Shang won in Lexington, Kentucky).

Three weeks ago, Zhang narrowly missed making history with countryman Wu Yibing, who was victorious in Indianapolis in the same week the 25-year-old fell in the Trieste final. Zhang made sure the historic moment didn’t slip from his hands a second time.

Play has resumed at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers at 3:52 p.m. local time on Thursday, after the action was halted for 69 minutes due to rain.

Third seed Casper Ruud and Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut will resume their match in the third set, after the Norwegian clinched the second set to level the match at 6-7(4), 7-6(4) 0-1. Hubert Hurkacz and Albert Ramos-Vinolas are locked at 5-5 in the first set in Montreal.

Washington champion Nick Kyrgios, Indian Wells titlist Taylor Fritz and home favourite Felix Auger-Aliassime will be in third-round action later on Thursday.

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There’s nothing quite like playing in your hometown, even with the added pressure that comes along with it.

The lone Canadian remaining in draw at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers, Felix Auger-Aliassime will attest to that. Through to the third round for the second time at the ATP Masters 1000 event, the native Montrealer is relishing the opportunity to ply his craft in front of his most fervent fans.

“The crowd here adds something special,” said Auger-Aliassime, whose parents live just 10 minutes from the tournament site. “I don’t get that anywhere else. Packed stadium, everyone is on their feet trying to support me — it’s special.”

Auger-Aliassime, who celebrated his 22nd birthday on Monday, finds himself matched up against a familiar foe in ninth seed Cameron Norrie of Great Britain. They’ve already met three times in 2022, with Norrie claiming their most recent encounter last week in the Los Cabos semi-finals, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Auger-Aliassime leads the overall ATP Head2Head, 4-1.

Asked how he’ll approach the Norrie match on Day Four, Auger-Aliassime, poised at a career-high No. 9 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, got right down to it.

A wild Wednesday filled with upsets in Montreal ended with the biggest shock of them all, according to the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

On a day that also saw the first, second and fifth seeds planted, #NextGenATP Briton and World No. 82 Jack Draper closed the Canadian night session with a 7-5, 7-6(4) stunner against Stefanos Tsitsipas. By beating the third seed and World No. 5, Draper earned his first Top 10 win.

"This is why I put in all the hard work, for nights like this on stages like this," the 20-year-old qualifier said in an on-court interview. "Last week [after] Washington, me and my coach probably were thinking we weren't even going to come here. We were going to maybe train a week, get a bit of confidence. But it paid off coming."

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The gap of 77 places between Draper and Tsitsipas is the largest of any of the day's upsets by some margin, with the Greek joining Daniil Medvedev, Carlos Alcaraz and Andrey Rublev in making an early exit at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

Two of the three seeded doubles teams in Wednesday action were eliminated in Montreal, but Croatia's Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic survived to stay alive at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

The fifth seeds saved six of seven break points against them, including three at 4-4 in the second set, to edge Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 3-6, 6-4, 10-7 at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

From 5/6 down in the decisive tie-break, the Croatians won five of the last six points to seal progress into the second round, where they will face Daniel Evans and John Peers. The Wimbledon finalists have claimed four titles together this season, most recently winning back-to-back British crowns at The Queen's Club and Eastbourne. Their two-year tally stands at 13 following nine titles in 2021, including three at the Masters 1000 level.

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Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara took out seventh seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek 6-4, 6-2, while Santiago Gonzalez and Andres Molteni downed eighth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 7-5, 6-1. The British-Finnish pair of Glasspool and Heliovaara is seeking its sixth final of 2022 and its second title of the year (Hamburg).

Playing at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers as the World No. 4 and the tournament's second seed, Carlos Alcaraz said he struggled for the first time with the pressure of his lofty status on the ATP Tour.

On Wednesday in Montreal, the 19-year-old lost a match point in the second set and dropped a 6-7(4), 7-6(7), 6-3 decision to American Tommy Paul.

"I felt the pressure to be the No. 2 seed in this kind of tournament, No. 4 in the world," Alcaraz said in his post-match press conference. "It was the first time that I felt that pressure, and I couldn't handle it.

"All I can say from this match is I have to train, I have to be ready to have this pressure, to have these kinds of moments, and to learn how to handle it. That's all I can say right now."

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Rafael Nadal confirmed on Wednesday his plans to travel to Cincinnati for the Western & Southern Open, where he could secure a return to World No. 1.

If the Spaniard wins the ATP Masters 1000 title and current World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev fails to reach the quarter-finals, Nadal would rise to the top of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

The 36-year-old is set for his first competitive appearance since pulling out of Wimbledon just before the semi-finals with an abdominal injury he sustained during the London fortnight. His difficult decision not to play Nick Kyrgios in that semi-final has allowed him a relatively quick return from the muscle tear.

Nadal confirmed his return in an Instagram post, where he said: "Very happy to play again in Cincy. Flying there tomorrow."

Nick Kyrgios’ red-hot form claimed its biggest scalp yet on Wednesday in Montreal, where the Australian prevailed 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-2 in a heavyweight National Bank Open Presented by Rogers second-round clash against World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev.

Kyrgios’ frequently deployed serve and volley tactics to exploit Medvedev’s deep positioning on return and the strategy largely paid off for the World No. 37, who lifted his seventh ATP Tour title in Washington on Sunday. Kyrgios faced just two break points during the two-hour encounter at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

The win is Kyrgios’ second over a reigning World No. 1, after he defeated Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2014. He will face 15th seed Grigor Dimitrov or countryman Alex de Minaur in the third round in Quebec, a stage the Australian has never progressed past at the Canadian Masters 1000 event.

More to follow…

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An inspired Tommy Paul cut short the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers debut of Carlos Alcaraz on Wednesday in Montreal, where the American prevailed 6-7(4), 7-6(7), 6-3 in a second-round epic.

Paul was on the brink of his third consecutive second-round exit at the Canadian ATP Masters 1000 event when he faced match point at 6/7 in the second-set tie-break, but the 25-year-old held his nerve to force a decider in his maiden ATP Head2Head meeting with the second seed. Consistent ballstriking from deep earned Paul a decisive break of serve in the third set as the World No. 34 wrapped a three-hour, 19-minute marathon win to book a third-round matchup against 13th seed Marin Cilic or Karen Khachanov.

“It’s nice to finish matches at the net,” said Paul after he came forward to convert his fifth match point. “He hit a pretty nice passing shot there at the last point and I covered the line well, volleyed it well. I think I did a lot of things well today. I played a good level of tennis, especially there in the third set, so I’m happy to get through.”

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✅ Alcaraz@TommyPaul1 digs deep for his fourth Top ? win in 10 months!#OBN22 pic.twitter.com/lylPHfP7aB

Paul had also been under pressure early in the second set after Alcaraz opened up a 4-1 lead to move within two games of victory. The American responded with four games in a row to storm back into the contest, and despite ultimately requiring a tie-break to clinch the set Paul admitted he felt confident on return throughout.

The USTA on Wednesday announced “The Tennis Plays for Peace Exhibition”, an event to be held on Ukraine Independence Day, 24 August, to benefit the people of Ukraine under the Tennis Plays for Peace programme.

Stars participating in the event include Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Taylor Fritz, Matteo Berrettini, John McEnroe, Coco Gauff, Leylah Fernandez, Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula and Victoria Azarenka. They will play a series of singles and mixed doubles matches inside Louis Armstrong Stadium from 7 to 9 p.m.

Tennis Plays for Peace, which is comprised of tennis’ governing bodies and the Grand Slam events, has raised more than $1 million in humanitarian aid and the USTA expects to raise at least $2 million more during the US Open.

"The US Open is a stage that attracts millions of passionate fans, and it is incumbent upon us to help guide this passion to help those who desperately need it," said USTA Chairman of the Board and President Mike McNulty. "This is a vitally important cause, and I'm proud of the way in which our sport has rallied together to lend a much-needed hand to our friends in Ukraine. I'm likewise proud that we are able to use the global platform of the US Open to enhance the giving effort, and I urge everyone to do all they can to help us show the people of Ukraine that we stand with them in their time of need."

The seventh ATP Masters 1000 event of the season is the Western & Southern Open, which is held at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Cincinnati.

Here is everything you need to know about the hard-court tournament:

When is the Western & Southern Open?

The 2022 Western & Southern Open will be held from 14-21 August. The hard-court ATP Masters 1000 tournament, established in 1889, will take place at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. The tournament director is Eric Butorac.

Who is playing at the 2022 Western & Southern Open?

The Western & Southern Open will feature stars including World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

When is the draw for the Western & Southern Open?

The Cincinnati draw will be made Friday, 12 August at a time to be confirmed.

Grigor Dimitrov and Andrey Rublev made an impressive debut as a doubles team on Tuesday.

The singles stars upset reigning Wimbledon titlists Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell 3-6, 6-2, 10-8 to reach the second round of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers. It will not get any easier for Dimitrov and Rublev, who will next try to upset second seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.

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Two-time Roland Garros champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies survived a stern test from Lukasz Kubot and Stan Wawrinka. The Germans battled through a Match Tie-break 4-6, 6-1, 10-5.

In other doubles action, Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop eliminated Karen Khachanov and Denis Shapovalov 7-6(5), 4-6, 10-6. The Indian-Dutch duo will next face the Polish team of Hubert Hurkacz and Jan Zielinski.

In some ways, that more-than-month-long pause between Mallorca and Los Cabos felt like an eternity for Daniil Medvedev.

But the interruption to his usual regimens/rhythms/routines, which included sitting out Wimbledon, doesn’t seem to have done him any harm, at least when it comes to the on-court results. Last week, the reigning World No. 1 departed Mexico with trophy in hand, his first of the year, and he returns to the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers as the defending champion, healthy and eager for a repeat performance.

Of course, this summer stretch is usually when the 26-year-old summons his best tennis. It was here in 2019, after all, that he introduced himself to the tennis world at large, embarking on a remarkable stretch that would see him reach consecutive finals in Washington, Montreal, Cincinnati, Flushing Meadows, St. Petersburg and Shanghai. If there’s a Medvedevian stretch on the ATP calendar, the North American hard-court swing is most definitely it.

“I’m in great confidence right now,” said Medvedev, who missed another chunk of time earlier this year after undergoing hernia surgery. “That’s why I went to Las Cabos, because I wanted to see where I was after the clay-court and the grass seasons, which are very different. It’s good to come back on hard courts to know what your position is compared to the best players. I feel very confident and I feel good for the next tournaments.”

In a season full of impressive victories, Taylor Fritz made another statement on Tuesday.

The American overpowered former World No. 1 Andy Murray 6-1, 6-3 to reach the second round of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers. Fritz will next play countryman Frances Tiafoe.

"It’s an honour to be on the court with Andy,” Fritz said in his on-court interview. “Just to get the chance to play him, he’s been around, he’s been dominating since before I came on Tour and basically the whole time I’ve been on Tour, so it’s an honour just to play him.”

Throughout his illustrious career, Murray has found ways to turn matches around, especially against big hitters. His defense has stymied the best offensive players of his generation time and time again. But not Tuesday evening under the lights in Montreal.

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Fresh off a three-week training block and his first title of the season in Los Cabos, Daniil Medvedev is poised to carry his momentum to Montreal for the National Bank Open presented by Rogers, where he is the defending champion.

“I made a great preparation block of three weeks and worked a lot physically, because we know that the end of the season is never easy and I want to be 100 percent ready. I managed to feel great in Los Cabos,” Medvedev said at the weekend.

“I’m in great confidence right now. I played good matches (in Mexico). I feel very confident and I feel good for the next tournaments.”

The North American hard-court season is where the World No. 1 has played his best tennis. He enters this week boasting an 11-3 record at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Canada, where he reached the final in 2019 (l. Nadal) and won the title last year in Toronto (d. Opelka).

In the coming weeks Medvedev will try to defend his title at the US Open, where he took out Djokovic in the championship match to capture his maiden Grand Slam. Before he gets to New York, he knows that two big tournaments are at stake and he expressed the importance of having a strong month in North America.

Nick Kyrgios set a popcorn second-round meeting with World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev on Tuesday at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers, downing Sebastian Baez 6-4, 6-4 to earn his seventh consecutive win.

The Australian captured his seventh ATP Tour title in Washington last week and immediately found his rhythm in Montreal, outmanoeuvring the Argentine as he combined heavy-hitting with deft touch to advance after one hour and 25 minutes.

“Physically I feel fine. Mentally just so tired. I haven’t had much sleep the past couple of days, but I am trying to put that behind me already,” Kyrgios said in his on-court interview. “I am in Montreal and I haven’t played great tennis in Montreal in the past, so I wanted to come out here today and get that match up against Medvedev next. It will be a lot of fun. I just want to create some good memories in Montreal.”

The 27-year-old, who is up to No. 33 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, has now won 12 of his past 13 matches, having advanced to his maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon last month.

Kyrgios will look to continue that run when he faces reigning champion Medvedev in the second round. The 27-year-old leads the top seed 2-1 in their ATP Head2Head series, however, Medvedev won their most recent meeting at the Australian Open in January.

Matteo Berrettini made his National Bank Open Presented by Rogers debut on Tuesday, but Pablo Carreno Busta ensured it was a short one.

The Spaniard, who lost against Berrettini in straight sets in the fourth round of this year’s Australian Open, avenged that defeat with a 6-3, 6-2 victory in the first round in Montreal.

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Berrettini is working his way back from March right hand surgery, which has limited him to just four tournaments since Indian Wells. Covid-19 also forced him to miss Wimbledon.

Carreno Busta took full advantage with a ruthless display of consistent aggression. The Spaniard prevented his opponent from finding a rhythm without risking too much himself. After securing a second service break in the second set, the 31-year-old let out a big roar knowing the finish line was in sight.

Tuseday's action has begun at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers in Montreal, following a delay at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Canada due to rain.

Play began at 12:26 p.m. local time (EST) in Quebec, where 11th seed Matteo Berrettini is in action on Court Rogers against Pablo Carreno Busta. Wild card Vasek Pospisil is looking to channel the support of his home fans on Court Central, where the Canadian is taking on Tommy Paul. Before the weather intervened, both matches had been scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. local time.

Rain also interrupted Monday's schedule in Montreal, where a packed Tuesday roster will see last week’s Washington champion Nick Kyrgios start his campaign against Sebastian Baez on Court Central. That match will be followed by 10th seed Taylor Fritz’s first ATP Head2Head meeting with former World No. 1 Andy Murray, while other seeded players in action include Hubert Hurkacz, Cameron Norrie and Gael Monfils.

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Even Matteo Berrettini is surprised that, some five years after making his ATP Tour debut, he had yet to play the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.

“I’m really looking forward to playing my first match here,” said the 26-year-old Italian ahead of Tuesday’s opener against Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta. “I always joke with my team that I never had the chance to play here.”

Be careful what you wish for. Beyond the 23rd-ranked Carreno Busta lies potential matchups with the likes of Dane Holger Rune and perhaps even countryman Jannik Sinner.

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“In a way, you should expect that in a 1000 like this all the matches are really tough,” said Berrettini, No. 14 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. “The tricky part is going to be my first opponent. Pablo is a great player. It’s also a new tournament for me. Until you step on the court, you don’t really feel the atmosphere and everything. I’m curious about it.”