Top 25 Montreal Sports Moments Of 2014: 25-21
By Jared Book
Mar 11, 2014; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) serves during her match against Simona Halep (ROU) in the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Halep won 6-2, 1-6, 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
24. Canada Beats Serbia In Fed Cup
After Eugenie Bouchard made the semi-finals at the Australian Open, her next tournament was in Montreal. This was a local star in the making (more on that later in the countdown) coming home for a warm welcome.
Bouchard was leading the Canadian Fed Cup team (a country-based team tournament; think the Davis Cup but for women) against Serbia on their way to a spot in the World Group I (the top division) for the first time in their history.
The match was held at the Claude Robillard Centre, and the crowd was very loud in welcoming Bouchard and celebrating her achievement in Australia. The crowd was drenched in red and white and tickets were not easy to come by.
After a first day that saw Bouchard and fellow Montrealer Aleksandra Wozniak win their opening matches, Bouchard opened play on Day 2 with a chance to clinch the tie. She did it rather easily, and the team went around with a Canadian flag to the delight of the crowd.
Then, in April, Canada played Slovakia in Quebec City and won that tie as well to reach the World Group I for the first time in their history.
Bouchard had a great season, but it was her first homecoming of 2014 – before Wimbledon, the French Open and the Rogers Cup – when she represented her country that I will remember.
-Jared Book
Next: No. 23: A Preview Of 2015