Bouchard Not Beholden, Blows Off Tennis Canada and Fed Cup Team

it sounds like she’d already said her participation in fed cup would be intermittent, but it’s still disappointing.

i’d like to know more about the new coach and how that went down.

February 7th, 2015 at 2:13 pm

Gabriela Dabrowski
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That sums it up. Why play with under-8 level players?

February 7th, 2015 at 3:35 pm

And it’s 2-0 for the Czech. Thank you Eugenie. Go Karolina!!!

February 7th, 2015 at 4:21 pm

For whatever it’s worth, which is admittedly just left of zero after currency conversion, I can’t seem to like this girl. I don’t like the weird condescending way she addresses her “army” in post match interviews. I don’t like her tennis. I don’t (and this has nothing to do with anything aside from the fact that it’s so, so unnecessarily hyped — which, to be clear, I’m not blaming her for that at all; I put that on the media/patriarchy/whatever) even find her pretty.

Now, in all fairness, it seems like pure hearsay that she gave some people the impression that she’d be there to represent her country this weekend, but (surprise, surprise) I don’t like it.

February 7th, 2015 at 4:22 pm

@GG,
I like Karolina, she is a character and very good tennis player, I expect her to get to top10 very soon.

@autoFilter,
Agree..sorry jane and other Bouchard fans.

February 7th, 2015 at 4:34 pm

““I mean, it’s Fed Cup,” said her teammate Sharon Fichman “Like…if I was making so much money, I would still want to play Fed Cup because it’s a special opportunity to represent your country””

Maybe she would, maybe she wouldn’t, we will never know, all that is known is she can judge others pretty well.

February 7th, 2015 at 4:53 pm

@Wog Boy: +1. I put her up to the semi in my Australian open bracket. Too bad that she didn’t beat Makarova. She is definitely going to make top ten.

@autoFilter: +1. Eugenie is like Maria. No friend on tour, just an insipid marketing product who is going to be a product-placement cash-flow machine. Zero interest…

February 7th, 2015 at 6:13 pm

Wog Boy & Gregoire,

I’m glad to know I’m not alone.

Regarding Maria: I am no fan and will go to great lengths to avoid watching her play. However, I have a great deal of respect for her level of focus as a competitor (I think it’s nearly if not totally unparalleled on the women’s side) as well as a businesswoman. She has earned what she has through relentless commitment, and she is undeniably a pioneer since she has achieved a level of success (financially, in this regard) beyond any other female athlete. So to my mind, if she feels that to carry herself with a distant, icy kind of vibe is part of that formula, I can only accept that as her apparent wisdom (about what works for her etc) that may not be particularly agreeable to my personal temperament or preferences.

But when I look at Genie, it’s just like, “What are you even doing? You’ve had a couple precocious semi-final results… What are you even doing?” She is young, though, and maybe she still just has plenty of growing up to do. So maybe I’m being unfairly harsh. But for now, I don’t like her lol.

February 7th, 2015 at 6:43 pm

Genie has her own goals. If she’s decided she can’t (or won’t) play Fed Cup, well that’s her call. As a Canadian, I’d like to always see our best represent our country but there often reasons why this doesn’t happen.

And we don’t necessarily know all the stuff going on behind the scenes between her and Tennis Canada. I’d be wary of judging a 20 year old too harshly. On the court, she’s an absolute class act. There isn’t any annoying shrieking or gamesmanship. She just goes out and plays. Win or lose afterwards, she never puts down her opponents and she doesn’t seek headlines.

I remember several occasions where Sampras didn’t play Davis Cup. Other times when Federer didn’t play Davis Cup too. I mean, does a country’s best player have to play in every tie? If they don’t, do they really deserve our ire?

February 7th, 2015 at 7:57 pm

She seems far too cold an individual to care for a team event like DC.

I think she once said herself: I’m here for myself, not to make friends or whatever else. Fair play. But indicates a very insular, self focused type individual.

Not surprised to be honest.

February 7th, 2015 at 7:57 pm

And I happen to think there’s a lot to like in regards to Bouchard. I certainly find her more likeable than Serena or Maria, and she has more game than Kournikova ever did. Not every player can be Kim Clijsters (who I happen to think is the classiest lady to hold a tennis racket from this generation). She proved good guys..er..good gals can finish first.

February 7th, 2015 at 8:02 pm

Brando,

Truth is, there is far less camaraderie in the women’s game. When Novak (or Fed or Rafa) beats a guy, there’s often a genuine exchange of respect at the net afterwards. At the end of a women’s match you rarely if ever see that kind of stuff. If we’re going to judge Genie, let’s at least do it contextually.

February 7th, 2015 at 8:07 pm

Human nature. Yes, I am sure Genie has been told by agents and marketers that only Slams matter and getting WTA points.
But many a Slam winner, even some on the March to Greatness…credit one moment or time in Davis Cup play or Fed Cup as helping them be more successful.

Stepanek, Davenport, Kuznetsova, Nadal, Djokovic and so on.
Raphael Nadal was promoted over FO Slam winner JUan Carlos Ferrero. He lost his 1st match on carpet in the Czech Republic. Then went on as 51st ranked to beat #2 Andy Roddick in the Final. He and his idol and fellow Maljorcan Carlos Moya won it for Spain in 2004 with Nadal just 18. He said the David Cup captain’s faith and his winning gave him the confidence early that it seemed waited for Djokovic until he led Serbia to DC victory in 2010.
Bouchard could regret it later.
The best players seem to have tight “teams”, working in a team setting is good for golfers and tennis players giving them values and experiences they do not get anywhere else.

February 7th, 2015 at 8:37 pm

SG1,
Re; 8:02 post
What about Davenport? Evert, Graf? Skeezer?

February 7th, 2015 at 9:06 pm

He and his idol and fellow Maljorcan Carlos Moya won it for Spain in 2004 with Nadal just 18
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You don’t want to know what I did when I was 13. Always been an over achiever at a young age.

February 7th, 2015 at 9:34 pm

Bouchard is working with her new coach this week. So she isn’t doing nothing. And have they forgotten about the 11 ties that Genie played in the last two years? She even played through a sprained ankle one time. She does not deserve all this bashing.

February 8th, 2015 at 3:33 am

@Mark……I agree with you whole heartedly, she doesn’t deserve the bashing……no one has a clue what’s going on in her life atm. People are very quick to judge……. just because?? :(

February 8th, 2015 at 3:46 am

wog boy, no worries!

i am not a rah rah genie fan, but nor do i dislike her. the jury is still out, but i think she plays nice tennis and i agree with sg-1 that her performance on the court is top-rate. this young girl already won a junior wimbledon title, and she backed that up, reaching the finals last year. yes; she was schooled by an in-the-zone petra, but genie’s reaction was to want to learn from that. i think all of these losses to top players are good lessons for her.

i also agree with mark that genie has already played a lot of fed cup, but that if she wants to focus on the tour and her own game right now, she does not not to be vilified for it. PLENTY of top players – on both the men’s and women’s tours – have opted out of davis cup at various points in their careers.

as i said, it’s disappointing but understandable. she made her commitment statement fairly clear: she would do what she could but that it isn’t her top priority. fair enough.

February 8th, 2015 at 5:18 am

SG1,
Re; 8:02 post
What about Davenport? Evert, Graf? Skeezer?

———————

Not sure I understand your question.

February 8th, 2015 at 5:57 pm

SG1,
Was comparing the other Ladies to Kim C. who had the same qualities, and then I got away ;)

February 8th, 2015 at 7:43 pm

You seem classy enough to me. Now, all you need is the number one ranking and some major titles…LOL!

Didn’t really consider Davenport, Evert and Graf as I don’t really see them as part of this generation. They are all class acts though.

February 9th, 2015 at 12:20 pm

Flaky as she was during her professional days, I really liked Hana Mandlikova as well. A very classy playing style even if the often had the sullen look of eastern European players of the day.

February 9th, 2015 at 12:27 pm

My hubby doesn’t even like tennis…..but guess what…..he loves Eugenie! I,for the love of me can’t figure out why?? :)

February 9th, 2015 at 1:38 pm

@Oki: I will tell you why:
Because your hubby admires her backhand down the line……hmmmm…….

February 9th, 2015 at 3:35 pm

My hubby cant stand tennis,only time he care was when Andy won Wimbledon,he did also comment on Kournikova once not about her tennis but how beautiful she was….

February 9th, 2015 at 3:45 pm

@courbon……. No, you’re wrong, it’s her backside!! :)

February 9th, 2015 at 3:55 pm

Okie lol….

February 9th, 2015 at 4:00 pm

@Chic…..I know my man!! Lol

February 9th, 2015 at 4:46 pm

I never knock a pro athlete for prioritizing her/his schedule in accordance with her/his objectives.

I always admired Lance Armstrong for caring only about 1 race each year, the Tour de France, as that was the only race that made him endorsement dollars in the USA.

Were I Eugenie Bouchard, or Roger Federer, I would never place Fed Cup/Davis Cup even once in my career. I think both are antiquated tennis institutions now no longer relevant. I can attest that the American audience could care less.

For me, even ranking would be irrelevant. It’d be all about the Slams, and if I had a Sampras-style game, all about the Australian, Wimbledon and US Open.

And I don’t even like Bouchard – I find her amazingly arrogant during interviews and on court, and her game unimaginative. She has no transition game and no volleying game, despite her athleticism. She hits the ball too hard, and doesn’t utilize enough spin and angles.

But I don’t knock her for focusing on the Slams. Who won Fed Cup in 2007? 2008?? How many titles does Spain have in the 2000s?? Does anybody care???

I still remember that Agassi has 4 Australians, Sampras 7 Wimbledons, Conchita Martinez 1 Wimbledon (biggest joke ever) and Andres Gomez 1 French (funniest Slam run ever to watch).

Usain Bolt ran a 19.19 200 meters. No idea what Jamaica ran in the relay, and don’t care.

February 9th, 2015 at 6:43 pm