Top 25 Montreal Sports Moments Of 2014: 5-1
By Jared Book
Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
2. The Emergence Of Eugenie Bouchard
A year ago, not many people knew of Eugenie Bouchard. In tennis circles, and even in Canada, she was seen as tennis’s next star.
No one thought the future would be last year.
At the Australian Open, Bouchard proclaimed her arrival. She made it to the semi-finals of the first Grand Slam of the year and then she won her first pro tournament right before the French Open and then repeated her Aussie Open success at the French Open and made the final at Wimbledon. Then, we realized she wasn’t perfect.
It was a tough summer for Bouchard. She lost her first match at her homecoming in Montreal at the Rogers Cup, struggled with the heat at the US Open in the fourth round and ended the season by firing her coach.
All in all, it was a great step forward for Bouchard. She is the youngest player in the top 20, never mind the top 10, but this year she will be expected to take the next step. The point is, she only won one tournament last year despite her success.
As she goes into 2015 with a new coach, the pressure will be on Bouchard. But her 2014 was one of the top stories of the year in the year of great Canadian tennis.
-Jared Book
Next: No. 1: An Outpouring Of Gratitude