National Bank Open: pass for Murray and Galarneau

Quebecer Alexis Galarneau had a nice surprise this Thursday. He received one of four National Bank Open passes.

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The others were awarded to Andy Murray, David Goffin and Canadian Vasek Pospisil. These choices are all at the discretion of the Montreal tournament leaders.

To return to Galarneau, it will be his first career participation in a Masters 1000 tournament. The 23-year-old athlete lost in the final of the challenger tournament in Winnipeg last weekend. We can think that he will arrive in the tournament with a good dose of confidence.

The Lavallois is currently at 238^e world rank. If we don’t know him well, it’s because he spent five years in the North Carolina State University program.

Murray, a natural

Murray’s choice comes as no surprise. As soon as the list of players for his tournament was unveiled, director Eugène Lapierre had hinted that the Briton might be one of his choices for a pass.

Murray, a three-time winner of the tournament, is now 50th in the ATP rankings. He would like to use the Montreal and Washington tournaments to earn valuable points.

The 35-year-old would love to secure a spot among the favorites ahead of the US Open. He showed he still had good tennis in him this season as he reached the final at the Stuttgart and Sydney tournaments.

Will Montreal fans see Murray for the last time? It wouldn’t be surprising.

As for Goffin, the Belgian is finding his bearings. The former world top 10 player delivered solid play at Wimbledon where he lost in the quarter-finals. He hasn’t played many tournaments in the last two years. Last year, he had to end his season due to a knee injury.

A formality

Photo d’archives, AFP

Novak Djok

In another vein, Serbian Novak Djokovic formalized his withdrawal from the Montreal tournament. It is not a surprise.

The former world number 1 cannot enter Canada due to his vaccination status. At Wimbledon, a few days before his coronation, he indicated that he did not intend to receive an injection before the start of the hard court season on North American soil.

As expected, his presence at the United States Open is compromised. Unless there is a sudden relaxation from the American authorities. It would be surprising.

Besides Djokovic, the German Oscar Otte has also forfeited. These two withdrawals open the door to Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi and Australian Nick Kyrgios who obtain a place in the main draw.

♦ The draw will take place tomorrow at the end of the followingnoon at Place Ville-Marie. Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas will be on hand to comment on the first clashes.