Canadian Philip Bester wins big at Rogers Cup in Toronto

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Defeats sixth seed in Rogers Cup presented by National Bank qualifying

North Vancouver native Philip Bester provided the first upset at Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Toronto on Saturday, knocking out sixth seed Florent Serra of France 6-3, 7-6 in qualifying play. After defeating the 64th ranked Serra, the 21-year-old Canadian needs just one win on Sunday to advance to the main draw.

“I knew I was playing really well, I told myself to just go for it and play aggressive,” said Bester. “These opportunities don’t come around every week, so I tried to play without any hesitation.”

The home crowd and familiar surroundings helped the 2006 Junior French Open finalist. Bester will face American Michael Russell, ranked 80th on Tour during Sunday’s final qualifying round.

“My mental presence helps to not have any doubt that I could win (this match). I have nothing to lose, so I have to go out guns blazing and always play with confidence. There’s a great atmosphere here. It’s always nice to play at home and feed off the energy of the fans.”

Tim Smyczek of the United States upset top-seeded qualifier Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan 7-6(5), 6-3. Other notable winners on Day One of qualifying include: Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan and Jarkko Nieminen of Finland and Kevin Anderson of South Africa.

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