Bouchard does her bit for Canada in Fed Cup
MONTREAL — Eugenie Bouchard did everything she could to help her country.
Bouchard won both her singles matches, including the clincher on Sunday, to power Canada to a 3-1 victory over Serbia in its Fed Cup World Group II tie over the weekend.
In beating Serbia’s Vesna Dolonc 6-0, 6-3, the Montreal native gave Canada a 3-0 lead in the best-of-five tie in front of her hometown fans at the Claude-Robillard Sports Complex.
“I think I played two solid matches, and I helped Canada,” Bouchard, 19, said. “I’m very proud of that. The whole team was very excited all week.”
Bouchard agreed to represent her country in the Fed Cup despite her busy international schedule. On Monday, she hops on a plane to Doha, Qatar, where she faces American Bethanie MattekSands in the Qatar Open the following day.
But Bouchard, who’s represented Canada since 2011, thinks that’s a small price to pay for wearing the Maple Leaf on her cheek, as she did over the weekend.
“I fully embrace it. It comes with the job,” she said. “This is where I want to be. I love playing for my country. I try to enjoy every moment when I play for Canada.”
On Saturday, Bouchard beat the No. 149-ranked Jovana Jaksic 6-1, 6-0 in a dominant performance to give Canada a 2-0 advantage, after her teammate Aleksandra Wozniak of Blainville, Que., defeated Dolonc 7-5, 2-6, 6-4.
Canada will now advance to the World Group playoffs, giving the team a chance to advance from the World Group II to a higher division that includes the world’s eight best teams.
A draw on Tuesday will determine Canada’s next opponent, and whether that tie will be held at home or on the road, when the Fed Cup resumes on April 19.
Canadian team captain Sylvain Bruneau had nothing but praise for the rising star Bouchard.
“She’s very patriotic, and people need to recognize that,” Bruneau said. “It won’t be easy for her (in Doha), but she did it to represent her country. She’s always been there for us.”
Joining Bouchard (ranked No. 19 in the world) and the 274th-ranked Wozniak on the Canadian team were Toronto’s Sharon Fichman (No. 112) and Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski (No. 224).
Fichman and Dabrowski lost to Serbia’s Jaksic and Nina Stojanovic 6-2, 3-6, (108) in doubles play on Sunday afternoon.