A time worth savouring, even in defeat
“I’ve got to take my opportunities in life. What’s wrong with me?”
Eugenie Bouchard gave herself a figurative smack upside the head.
But the 22-year-old glamour girl of women’s tennis was smiling and she was joking. Which is good to see again because the smiles and the jokes had become too rare around the courts for this globally famous Canadian.
The Montreal native wasn’t even talking about her second-round, straight-sets Olympics defeat —6-4, 6-2 — Monday to world No. 2 Angelique Kerber. She was referring to a missed opportunity for meeting — greeting, just saying hiya — Michael Phelps at the athletes’ village, the swimming luminary who claimed his 19th gold medal Sunday. Phelps, Bouchard said last week, was the sports star she was most anxious to chat with.
“I just saw him one time and I was a bit too shy.”
Bashful seems unlikely for Bouchard, who has graced the cover of so many glossy magazines, been stalked by paparazzi at red-carpet events and routinely handles with aplomb the wolf-whistles of lad-fans at tournaments, no less so in her matches here, where a couple of overly smitten adorers yelled out marriage proposals. And that was in a backcourt.
Bouchard was on centre court Monday and clearly the crowd-favoured participant. The Canadian acknowledged the audience as she stepped onto the hard court, flashing a wide grin. Idolatry she can handle just fine; she has been doing so since becoming a tennis phenomenon, even if her game hasn’t kept pace with her celebrity.
She has struggled in the wake of Australian Open and Wimbledon finals and a world ranking inside the top 10 two years ago. Working things out, adjusting to expectations that seem rather unrealistic now, falling repeatedly to lowly challengers. She hasn’t flamed out, exactly, barely into her 20s. But she does remain a work in staggered progress.
In Kerber, however, Bouchard had reason to feel some confidence especially coming off her commanding first-round victory over American Sloane Stephens.
Kerber had lost their previous three meetings, most recently in the second round of the Italian Open in May. But the German has been soaring over the last year, winning the Australian Open over Williams and then appearing in the Wimbledon title match where Williams took her revenge.
Monday morning, Kerber started slowly, broken in her first service game. Bouchard, in black pleated skirt and black top that showed off gorgeous shoulder blades, seemed the more focused of the two, certainly the most aggressive. But that’s often a dangerous game to play with Kerber, renowned for her defensive proficiency, the ability to chase and return apparent no-hopers. She thrives on long rallies and the slow court here played to her strengths.
“I started well, obviously,” Bouchard said.
“But I was having trouble finishing the points. When I came up to the net, I had to do better than that. She’s a great defensive player, as well as offensive, but especially defensively. She got a lot of balls back and she passed me way too many more times than is acceptable when I came forward.’’
The early break gave Bouchard 2-0 and 4-1 leverage as she struck the ball with intensity, moving Kerber from side to side. But the German broke back in the seventh game of the opening set, taking advantage of a poorly played forehand down the line. In the next game, Bouchard completely missed a ball at the net. When another forehand went long, Kerber had tied the match 4-4, breaking Bouchard again in the ninth and waltzing to love for the 6-4 set.
“She played very solidly today,” Bouchard said afterward. “Even when I was attacking her, she came back and hit the ball almost even harder. She was really good counterpunching. She is the second best player in the world right now . . .
“The difference is so small between the top players and the rest of the pack. So it’s that little one, two per cent here and there that makes a difference. She did it a little better to me today in that sense. But I know I’m not too far.”
At least Bouchard was here, in Rio, savouring every moment of the experience, even in defeat. A slew of top players, including Stan Wawrinka and Canada’s Milos Raonic, gave the Olympics a pass.
No prize money, no ranking points, no interest. The Olympics, though, do mean a hell of a lot to some tennis pros, including Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal, each flag-bearer for their country.
Djokovic was in tears Sunday night after his stunning first-round loss to Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro, hand to his heart in a parting gesture to the crowd. He didn’t cry after his three-round departure at Wimbledon last month.
“I am very happy I decided to come to Rio,” said Bouchard, who’s been thrilled by the loud crowds, so dissimilar from the sedate audience at Wimbledon.
“It’s a different feeling, like you’re on a team. Feeling that extra support around me this week helped me. You just feel like people really appreciate the hard work you’re putting in and what you’re trying to do. Not only for yourself — it’s always fun for me. But this week I felt it was a little bit for my country.”
Bouchard isn’t homebound. She and partner Gabriela Dabrowski won their doubles match against a Polish duo Sunday.
“It’s not over for me yet. I’m going to keep my head up. It’s been an amazing experience so far. I’m feeling good.”