The tennis tourist: Rogers Cup, Montreal

Words: Ms Partisan Crowd

KEY INFORMATION

Address
Uniprix Stadium, 285 Faillon St. Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The lowdown
The men’s Rogers Cup is scheduled for 8-16 August 2009 and will feature the top players on the ATP Tour competing at the Uniprix Stadium, Montreal.

Prize money at stake is $3 million. For full details on the tournament schedule visit the official website.

The venue
The Uniprix Stadium, which hosts numerous sporting and special events, is a great entertainment venue located in Montreal’s Jarry Park.

Formerly known as Jarry Park Stadium, Uniprix Stadium was previously dedicated to baseball. In 1960 it welcomed the Montreal junior baseball league and in 1969 became home to the Montreal Expos. In 1981 the stadium hosted its first international tennis tournament, one of the biggest sporting events in Montreal.

By virtue of the partnership between Tennis Canada, the Quebec Tennis Federation and the City of Montreal, the general public uses the Uniprix Stadium facilities for recreational play at a rate of 45 percent. Tennis Montreal uses another 25 percent of the available court time, and the Quebec Tennis Federation shares the remainder with Tennis Canada for developmental activities.

From 1993 onwards Montreal joined the select club of nine cities participating in tennis’ premier circuit; which became the ATP Masters series in 2000. There are plans to build a further four clay courts housed in a bubble to enable play all year round.

The players
The Rogers Cup is the first ATP Masters event in the US Open Series of hard court tournaments, which culminates in the US Open – the final Grand Slam of the year – starting at the end of August.

In 2008 the top men’s seed was Roger Federer, who was knocked out in the second round by Gilles Simon. Second seed Rafael Nadal beat Nicolas Kiefer to win the ATP singles title, while second seeded pair Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic won the men’s doubles.

The singles draws are 64 in size with eight first round byes for the top seeds.

The host city
For some culture and history purchase the Montreal Museum Card (£27), which is valid for three days giving free entry to 34 city museums.

Try out Montreal’s Bixi bike hire system, modelled on the successful Vélib scheme in Paris – what could be nicer than a gentle pedal on the banks of the St Lawrence River. Check out the fancy boutiques along Rue St-Paul or Rue Ste-Catherine in downtown Montreal, where seasoned fashion-hunters spend their time.

If you want to try and catch Rafa Nadal eating six rolls with Nutella for breakfast, book into the luxurious tournament hotel, Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth. Where else could you dine at a restaurant named The Beaver Club?

At the other end of the scale is the Auberge Alternative, a colourful but low-key hostel with a relaxed communal area and friendly staff. It has a great location in old Montreal.

The courts
Following major renovations in 1996 and 2004, Uniprix Stadium is now made up of a Centre Court (11,437 seats), Court 1 (4,517 seats) as well as 10 outdoor hard (Deco Turf) and 12 indoor tennis courts.

Tickets
Visit the tournament’s official website to buy tickets. There are multiple tickets options, as well as single session (matinee, night, single) you can purchase Series tickets for the whole event. Check out the virtual seating chart.

The Weather
In August the weather is hot, with an average of 25° Celsius (77° Fahrenheit).

Food
Montreal has a great restaurant scene, probably due to the fact that more than half the inhabitants can trace their ancestry directly back to France! Go for lunch at Schwartz’s deli (3895 Saint-Laurent Boulevard), which has been open since 1928. It’s part American-style diner, part butcher – Celine Dion, Angelina Jolie and the Rolling Stones have been customers.

To celebrate your favourite player’s win, why not dine at Le Club Chasse et Pêche (423 rue St-Claude). One of Montreal’s most exclusive restaurants, situated in the Old Quarter – the food is quite superb.

To avoid breaking the bank, head downtown to the upbeat, hip ambience and gourmet burgers of m:brgr (2025 Drummond).

Getting there
Air Canada, British Airways and BMI fly direct from the UK to Montreal’s Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (aka Dorval). Transfer by road to city centre takes about 25 minutes.

Once in Montreal… for transport to Uniprix Stadium check out the details on the tournament website.
All Rogers Cup ticket holders will receive two free public transit tickets for transport to the event (bus or metro).

You heard it here first…
The Rogers Cup in conjunction with Tennis Canada are promoting sustainability as a top objective of their organisation, read more about it here. They’re planning to run scoreboards on solar power and install reusable red carpets amongst other initiatives!

Tune in
Click here for the full British TV schedule during the event or watch live streaming video on TennisTV.com.

First4Tennis
First4Tennis is the first place to go for tickets and hospitality to any of the major tennis events worldwide. The company is a dedicated specialist provider and offers a comprehensive service across all the major tennis tournaments around the world and their expertise is at your disposal to ensure you get the best seats and viewing experience, for the price that suits you.