Opening weekend of Rogers Cup underway in Montreal

MONTREAL – The opening weekend of the women’s Rogers Cup was underway at Montreal’s Uniprix Stadium Saturday.

The event plays host to some of the top tennis players in the world, including Serena and Venus Williams, as well as Eugenie Bouchard.

“We have nine of the top ten players in the world, seventeen of the top 20,” Eugene Lapierre, tournament director, said. “It’s a very high level of competition.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We have nine of the top ten players in the world, seventeen of the top 20," Eugene Lapierre, tournament director, said. "It's a very high level of competition."

The first weekend was geared towards families with plenty of activities including face painting and being able to practice tennis.

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“By giving free access during the weekend it helps the local community to come here and to enjoy the site and the facilities its perfect for them to get to know tennis,” Richard Quirion, director of on site activities, said.

However, tennis wasn’t the only sport on hand over the weekend.

A ball hockey game took place featuring Montreal Canadiens players Tomas Plekanec and Steffan Matteau.

Even though it’s not a Grand Slam tournament, the Rogers Cup still manages to attract top talent.

“It’s not a mandatory tournament for the players so they come here because they love coming here. They love coming to Montreal,” Lapierre said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's not a mandatory tournament for the players so they come here because they love coming here. They love coming to Montreal," Lapierre said.

Proceeds earned from the Rogers Cup will be put towards bettering Tennis Canada.

“By organizing this great event all of the profit goes back to the development of the sport,” Quirion said. “It goes to the underprivileged kids by different programs. It also helps the high performance athletes to get the best treatment and to travel the world.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "By organizing this great event all of the profit goes back to the development of the sport," Quirion said. "It goes to the underprivileged kids by different programs. It also helps the high performance athletes to get the best treatment and to travel the world."