WATCH ABOVE: Eugenie Bouchard dominates in third set and moves on to Australian Open semifinals – Credit: TSN
MONTREAL – Canada’s rising tennis phenom and local Montreal sensation Eugenie Bouchard won a big match Monday night defeating former world no. 1 Ana Ivanovic 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 and advancing to the Semi-finals of the Australian Open.
Bouchard is the first Canadian to ever reach the semifinals of this grand slam event and the first Canadian in 30 years to reach the Semis of any of the four grand slam tournaments.
The last Canadian to go to the semis at a major was Toronto’s Carling Bassett at the 1984 U.S. Open.
The 19-year-old Westmount native will now face fourth seed Li Na for a place in the final.
READ MORE: Westmount’s 19-year-old Eugenie Bouchard set to play in quarter-finals at Australian Open
Bouchard displayed some gritty back court play and moved extremely well to keep Ivanovic off guard while dismantling her big forehand weapon.
Ivanovic was the 14th seed and came off a big win upsetting world number one Serena Williams in her previous match. The Serbian player had also won a tune-up tournament in Auckland and hadn’t lost a match all year. But none of that seemed to phase Bouchard, who displayed incredible composure and focus throughout the three-set battle.
“We had a tough match, she was playing well at times,” said Bouchard. “When she did there was not much I could do. I kept fighting, played aggressive and stepped it up in the second and third sets.
“The most important thing is to enjoy it out there and that’s what I’ve been doing. I tried to stay calm and go for my short, that’s when I play my best.”
Bouchard was named the WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2013 and is currently ranked 31st in the world.
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While she doesn’t have a tournament under her belt, Bouchard’s competitive attitude and mental toughness may serve her well when she takes on fourth seed Na on Wednesday.
The darling of the WTA will likely have tennis fans around the world and especially in Canada and Montreal on their seat’s edge when they watch the match.
With files from The Canadian Press
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