Bouchard joins for Fed Cup tie in Montreal
The good news for Canada’s Fed Cup team is that Elina Svitolina, the No. 4 player in the Women’s Tennis Association rankings, will not be in Montreal this weekend when Canada faces Ukraine in a World Group II relegation tie.
The bad news is that, even without Svitolina, Ukraine is the favourite in the best-of-five competition that will be played indoors at the Jarry Tennis Centre.
“On paper, they have the stronger team, but we have Genie Bouchard playing for us and this is an important moment for Canada and for Genie,” Tennis Canada vicepresident Eugène Lapierre said Monday at a news conference to announce that Uniprix Stadium, the venue of the Rogers Cup tournament, will be rechristened as IGA Stadium.
Bouchard hasn’t played in the Fed Cup since 2015 and she returns at a time when she and Canadian women’s tennis are at a crossroads. A former top-10 player, Bouchard has dropped to No. 117 in the WTA rankings and has seen her lucrative endorsement deals dry up.
She was the key in 2013 when Canada defeated Ukraine 3-2 to keep its spot in the Fed Cup World Group, but a loss on the weekend would send Canada — No. 18 in the Fed Cup rankings — back to Americas Zone play, which Lapierre described as “the basement.”
Bouchard will be joined by fellow Montrealer Françoise Abanda (No. 127), Mississauga, Ont., teenager Bianca Andreescu (No. 221) and Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski, a top-10 doubles specialist.
Ukraine will counter with Lesia Tsurenko (No. 41), Kateryna Bondarenko (No. 78) and top-50 doubles player Olga Savchuk.
The Fed Cup format features two singles matches on Saturday followed by two singles matches and a concluding doubles match on Sunday. The matches will be played on indoor hard courts and Lapierre said he is hoping to fill the 1,800 temporary seats.
For more information, visit tenniscanada.com.