No doubt about it: 2019 will be worth its weight in birthday cake. To mark the 40th edition of Rogers Cup in Montréal, Jean-René Dufort will serve as jokester-in-chief at IGA Stadium for the 10th time, cracking up players and fans alike. While we’re on the topic of sidesplitters, we’re also celebrating the initialism LOL (laughing out loud), which turned 30 this May. Montréal has seen its share of LOLs, and here are a few random highlights that, we hope, will have you ROFL.
My name’s Robin
No matter the continent or opponent, the Maestro is always, always the crowd favourite. This was especially true in his 2017 Rogers Cup match against Robin Haase of the Netherlands, who still managed to find his way to the semis while operating incognito. Crestfallen that fans had all boarded the Fed Express, he tried to turn the tides. And he did, if only for a moment.
Nishikori’s drop shot fail
Unforced errors happen all the time, so they’re really only funny when they plague a tennis star who’s okay with entertaining—and perhaps even reassuring—the humblest weekend warrior. Next time you hit a less-than-stellar shot, spare a thought for Kei Nishikori.
Andy Murray 1 – Jean-René Dufort 0
Without Jean-René Dufort, there would be far less LOL at Rogers Cup. Choosing only one clip of his was no easy feat. Of course, every bit with Novak is gold but we decided to go with Andy Murray and an original soundtrack by Ennio Morricone. No comment on which of them is the good, the bad or the ugly.
When your shot backfires
Let’s rewind way back to 1991. To say Petr Korda and Andrei Chesnokov weren’t going to become BFFs in Montréal would be an understatement. The goading came to a head in the second set of their match, when Korda tauntingly two-stepped his way over to the Russian’s side of the court. In the end, though, Chesnokov had the last laugh.
The Great One’s D-men
When Wayne Gretzky made a quick stop in Montréal to cheer on Denis Shapovalov in the semifinals of the 2017 Rogers Cup, he made his presence known—albeit inadvertently. In a whirlwind of selfies and autographs, the No.99 dropped his phone. Hilarity and the mobilization of a bunch of ballpersons ensued. Keep your stick on the ice, Wayne.
