Montreal’s Eugenie Bouchard To Face Ana Ivanovic
By Jared Book
Jun 26, 2013; London, United Kingdom; Eugenie Bouchard (CAN), right, shakes hands at the net after her match against Ana Ivanovic (SRB) on day three of the 2013 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
Eugenie Bouchard has gone where no Canadian has gone since 1992. Bouchard defeated Australia’s Casey Dellacqua in three sets, 6-7(5),6-2,6-0 to move on to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Bouchard is the first Canadian to reach the quarterfinal of a grand slam event since Patricia Hy-Boulais at the U.S. Open in 1992.
The first set lost in the tiebreak was the first set that the 30th seed lost in the entire tournament to date.
Bouchard, the reigning Canadian female athlete of the year, is set to face Serbian Ana Ivanovic. Ivanovic, the tournament’s 14th seed is coming off of a big win over No. 1 seed Serena Williams. It was the first time that Ivanovic beat Williams. Ivanovic also defeated top Australian Sam Stosur.
Bouchard and Ivanovic faced off one previous time, in the second round of Wimbledon last year. Bouchard won that match in straight sets. Ivanovic has yet to lose a match this year, at 9-0, and winning her most recent tournament in Auckland.
This may also be a preview of things to come at the Fed Cup World Group II First Round to be held at the Claude Robillard Centre in February as Canada takes on Serbia. Both Ivanovic and Bouchard were named to their respective Fed Cup teams last year and are expected to be named this year. The two countries faced off in 2011 but neither player was on the team that year.
Bouchard is expected to move up around 10 spots in the world rankings regardless of what happens later today.
The match is second up on Rod Laver Arena in the afternoon session that starts at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday Melbourne time (7:00 p.m. Monday night Eastern). Bouchard should be taking the court at approximately 9:00 p.m.