Eugenie Bouchard did not seem like a girl who wanted to live her last professional tennis match in a career. She prepared herself seriously and she wanted to win this first -round duel in her omnium national banking in Montreal.
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In front of a crowd suspended at the possible historical moment on Monday evening, on the central of the IGA stadium, Bouchard enjoyed every second of the game every second.
And when, in the third round, she broke the service of the Colombian Emiliana Arango, 82e Global, to make 5-1, she felt all the energy of the public.
“The crowd was so noisy that I didn’t feel my body for 30 seconds,” she said at a press conference. It was as if I were outside my body. It was really incredible. “
“I lost the following game,” said Eugenie, laughing. I then told myself that I had to find my concentration and not think too much about the crowd. You shouldn’t take this moment for bigger than it was. Anything can happen in a match even if I lead 5-1, the girls are so good that it can change quickly. ”
The 31-year-old Quebecoise reached herself to win 6-4, 2-6 and 6-2.
Ben Pelosse / JD
Rusty, but impressive
She was impressive, “genius”, keeping the pace in exchanges. Despite a little “rust”, by her own admission, she did not seem like a player who was playing a first WTA 1000 tournament in two years.
“I know I have good tennis, but I didn’t know if I could show it today [lundi]. I made efforts in the practices recently and I really wanted to have a good performance, she said. I knew I could do that, but it depended so mentally, I could stay in the match and not be in emotions or think of all the things that surrounded the match and the tournament. “
“I’m proud to have succeeded.”
Ben Pelosse / JD
Strong between the two ears
Even after having seen his opponent provoke an ultimate round, never Bouchard thought that his career was about to conclude.
“I said to myself: “Ok, we forget everything that happened, I have another set to play”, And I stayed at the time. It helped me play the best tennis, ”she said.
And even if she saw that her family members had tears in her eyes before the confrontation, she managed to focus on the advice of her coaches Sylvain Bruneau and Heidi El Tabakh.
“If I think of emotions, if I win or if I lose, it comes out of the moment. It was important to put it aside, “said Eugenie, adding that” it was just the fun to play “.
Ben Pelosse / JD
Forget the pickleball
Wednesday, “Genie” will have the opportunity to live another magical evening when she crosses the iron with Belinda Bencic, 17e Favorite in Montreal, that she had beat her 10 years ago in Toronto, before winning the tournament.
In the hope of signing a first gain in four confrontations against the Swiss, Eugenie hopes to forget a little about her pickleball reflexes, which may have affected its flying.
“I must tell Sylvain that we must practice approaches and flights tomorrow [mardi].»
Because it is ultimately not the retreat that awaits Bouchard on Tuesday, but a training, a massage and physiotherapy. There is worse!
