Tennis pro Eugenie Bouchard has local ties
Posted Jan 21, 2014 01:31:55 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s big news for Canadian Tennis.
After beating Ana Ivanovic at the Australian Open, Eugenie Bouchard has become the first Canadian to reach a Grand Slam semifinal since 1984.
Not too long ago, she played her first Canadian professional tournament at the Waterloo Tennis Club.
Manager of the Club, Helen McArdle tells 570 News that Bouchard was 14-years-old at the time.
“A lot of players here in Waterloo got a chance to play with her…and can now say they have played with a Grand Slam semifinalist.”
Bouchard played at the Cooper Challenger Tournament hosted by the Waterloo Tennis Club for several years. The first time she competed, McArdle says Bouchard lost in the first round, but did come back to do much better in later years.
In 2011, she made the trip back to Waterloo from her Junior Doubles win at Wimbledon to compete in the tournament – where she made it to the finals.
McArdle adds this is an exciting time for all those who have played at the Club.
“When Milos [Raonic] was doing very well, we saw how much people wanted to get into tennis and start to learn to play and improve their game and I think just having Eugenie on that stage as well is going to be huge for tennis in Canada.”
Bouchard will play next against China’s Li Na.
AUDIO: Full interview with Helen McArdle
