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TORONTO -- Novak Djokovic heard the names of the players he could face in his opening match at the Rogers Cup and buried his head in his arms. The worlds top mens tennis player didnt need that big of a test out of the gate. Djokovic wasnt happy about having to see either 22nd-ranked Gael Monfils or 35th-ranked Radek Stepanek right away, and he couldve done without Andy Murray being in his quarter of the draw, picked Friday afternoon at Queens Park. But beyond his tough road that awaits at the Toronto tournament, Djokovic cant help but smile given his recent fortune. Within the past month, the 27-year-old won Wimbledon and got married, and he and his new wife are expecting their first child soon. "Its been probably the best month Ive had in my life with Wimbledon title, with wedding and of course a baby coming up," Djokovic said. "Im going back to the business, back to my office, but of course filled with positive energy, with joy, all the beautiful emotions that a person can experience right now. Hopefully I can use that to perform well on the tennis court." Part of Djokovics joy is that hes playing some of the best tennis of his career. Winning at Wimbledon and in Rome and reaching the final of the French Open at Roland Garros gave him a sizable boost of confidence. At the Rogers Cup, which begins with qualifying rounds Saturday and Sunday while the main draw gets underway Monday, Djokovic returns to hard-court play for the first time since winning the Sony Open in Miami in March. Djokovic got to town Thursday with designs on getting some extra practice in. "One thing is to practise, the other thing is to play an official match," Djokovic said. "Im looking forward to the first match, even though the draw is terrible for me. Still, not my fault. Obviously thats something that I cannot influence." Djokovic was joking throughout the draw about the difficult path hell have to take in order to win his fourth Rogers Cup title. Murray, seeded eighth, would be his quarter-final opponent, and Djokovic would have to get through either third-seeded Stan Wawrinka or seventh-seeded Grigor Dimitrov to reach the final. Roger Federer, whom Djokovic beat in a memorable five-set match to capture this years Wimbledon trophy, headlines the bottom half of the draw as the second seed. Federer moved up after defending champion Rafael Nadal withdrew earlier this week because of a wrist injury. Even without Nadal, the Rogers Cup features what Ontarios lieutenant governor, David C. Onley, called "an A-list of international tennis stars." It doesnt get more A-list than Djokovic. "I really do wish you well in the tournament," Onley said to Djokovic. "As a Canadian, though, Im just wishing you a little bit well in the tournament." There are three Canadians in the field: sixth-seeded Milos Raonic, unseeded Vasek Pospisil and wild card Peter Polansky. Raonic, who on Friday beat Steve Johnson in Washington to reach the semifinals at the Citi Open, will face either American Jack Sock or Austrian Jurgen Melzer after his first-round bye. Raonic lost to Federer in the semifinals at Wimbledon, and his game is on the rise whether his friend Djokovic likes it or not. Djokovic joked that Raonic "can get to No. 1 as soon as Im done with my career." He may not get his wish if Raonics rise continues. "He has the clear goal of what he wants to achieve and he says he wants to be the best, so there is a potential in him," Djokovic said. "Hes already an established top-10 player and hes becoming a player that plays really well on the big stage." This is yet another big stage for Raonic, who was born in Montenegro but grew up in Thornhill, Ont., just outside of Toronto. The three Canadians got spread out throughout the 64-player bracket. Vancouvers Pospisil got a rough draw as hell face Richard Gasquet in the first round, while Frank Dancevic of Niagara Falls, Ont., will face a qualifier and Polansky, also of Thornhill, will open against Polands Jerzy Janowicz. Seven qualifying spots will be filled this weekend. In the meantime, Djokovic will try to get continue his sharp play with the U.S. Open not far away. Re-adjusting to being on hard courts is the first step. "Looking at the results throughout my career, hard court is probably my most successful, most preferred surface," Djokovic said. "Its why I have always excitement for playing in events on this surface." Djokovic has plenty of reasons to be excited, whether its about marrying Jelena or becoming a father. Its good to be Djokovic right now. "Its a real joyful moment, and Im blessed to be in a position to play the sport that I love, to be successful in it now back to No. 1 and of course to be married, to become a parent soon," he said. "I cant ask for more from this life, to be honest. I try to nurture what I have and always seek to improve as a tennis player, to improve as a person and to love my wife, otherwise Ill be in trouble." On the court, Djokovic knows it would be difficult to match 2011, when he won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. But he still has time to make 2014 almost as successful. "Knowing that I have achieved something like that gives me of course always confidence and I do have high ambitions and expectations for myself wherever I go," he said. "Each year brings a new challenge, and I have matured as a player and as a person. I have gotten stronger in certain aspects of my game and physically, as well." Jake Lamb Jersey . 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Brad Boxberger Jersey .com) - The Toronto Raptors are paying Rudy Gay a visit on Wednesday night when they head into the Sleep Train Arena to take on the Sacramento Kings.Check in throughout the day for the very latest from around the NHL, including injury updates, roster moves, and other breaking news. Boston Bruins Dennis Seidenberg will not face a hearing for his hit last night on Chicagos Jonathan Toews. Seidenberg hit Toews from behind in the second period and was assessed a two-minute boarding penalty. - TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun David Krejci participated in practice for the fourth straight day on Friday. He has missed nine games with a lower-body injury. - Team Twitter Chicago Blackhawks Captain Jonathan Toews is travelling with the team to Long Island after taking a hit from behind from Bostons Dennis Seidenberg on Thursday night. - Team Release Colorado Avalanche The team assigned Paul Carey and Karl Stollery to Lake Erie (AHL) today. Head coach Patrick Roy said Marc-Andre Cliche will play Saturday, and that Brad Stuart, Patrick Bordeleau, and John Mitchell should all hopefully return during the coming road trip. - Team Twitter Edmonton Oilers The team transferred Jesse Joensuu to Bern of the Swiss League. - Terry Jones, Edmonton Sun Montreal Canadiens Forward Eric Tangradi was assigned to the Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL). - Team Release New Jersey Devils Forward Damien Brunner cleared waivers today. He and the team have agreed to terminate his contract, amid reports this week that he will explore playing options in Europe. - Richard Chere, NJ Star-Ledger New York Islanders The team placed F Cory Conacher on waivers today.dddddddddddd - TSN Philadelphia Flyers Vincent Lecavalier missed practice after tweaking a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day. - Flyers Official Website Lecavalier has been a healthy scratch for five straight games. St. Louis Blues Head coach Ken Hitchcock said Jake Allen with start in goal on Saturday against the Avalanche. - Team Twitter Toronto Maple Leafs Leo Komarov is still not practicing with the team and will miss his sixth straight game with a concussion on Saturday. Jonathan Bernier got some extra work in at Fridays practice, which suggests that he may start Sunday against his former team, the Kings. James Reimer may get another chance to face the Red Wings on Saturday night. Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle says James Reimer tweaked his groin at practice. Doesnt sound serious, so the goalies will split the back-to-back this weekend. Carter Ashton practiced with the Leafs for the first time since his 20-game suspension started. He has served 16 games so far and is eligible to return to action on Dec. 20. - Jonas Siegel, TSN 1050 Vancouver Canucks The team recalled defenceman Alex Biega from Utica (AHL). - Team Release Washington Capitals Head coach Barry Trotz said that he plans for Andre Burakowsky to be back in the lineup tomorrow against Tampa Bay. - Team Twitter Winnipeg Jets The team re-assigned forward Patrice Cormier to St. Johns (AHL) today. - Team Release ' ' '