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| Eugenie Bouchard breezes past Simona Halep and into Wimbledon final | Eugenie Bouchard breezes past Simona Halep and into Wimbledon final |
| (about 2 months later) | |
| It is not just her heavy serve, good movement, solid ground strokes and court savvy that make Eugenie Bouchard such a dangerous tennis player. The 20-year-old Canadian showed on Thursday that it is her coolness under pressure and unscheduled distractions that sets her apart from many of her contemporaries, and gives her a decent shot of beating the 2011 champion Petra Kvitova in final. | |
| The No6 seed Kvitova – like the world No3 Simona Halep in the second semi-final – will probably start favourite, given her experience (11 Tour titles and 25 wins in 30 matches here), but it is unlikely her free-hitting opponent will be bothered. | The No6 seed Kvitova – like the world No3 Simona Halep in the second semi-final – will probably start favourite, given her experience (11 Tour titles and 25 wins in 30 matches here), but it is unlikely her free-hitting opponent will be bothered. |
| In a post-match TV interview that had all the edge of a chat in a coffee shop, she blithely dismissed the drama of a bizarre finish and spoke with quiet confidence about winning her first slam final against a proven Tour winner four years her senior. | In a post-match TV interview that had all the edge of a chat in a coffee shop, she blithely dismissed the drama of a bizarre finish and spoke with quiet confidence about winning her first slam final against a proven Tour winner four years her senior. |
| “It was a little crazy, I’ve never ended a match like that,” Bouchard said of the incident on the first of her six match points, with Halep serving at 1-5, 15-40 in the second set. | “It was a little crazy, I’ve never ended a match like that,” Bouchard said of the incident on the first of her six match points, with Halep serving at 1-5, 15-40 in the second set. |
| As the Romanian’s arm swung towards contact, a spectator shouted from the stands and Bouchard pulled away – but the Romanian finished the serve, legally, and the chair umpire, Kader Nouni, ignored Bouchard’s plea to replay the point. | As the Romanian’s arm swung towards contact, a spectator shouted from the stands and Bouchard pulled away – but the Romanian finished the serve, legally, and the chair umpire, Kader Nouni, ignored Bouchard’s plea to replay the point. |
| Halep, below her best and inconvenienced after turning an ankle in the fourth game of the match – as well as carrying a left thigh strain she picked up in the third round – held to stay in the fight but could not keep Bouchard at bay in her final service game. A big serve wide on the backhand side was the winner’s sign-off for a solid 7-6, 6-2 victory after an hour and 20 minutes. | Halep, below her best and inconvenienced after turning an ankle in the fourth game of the match – as well as carrying a left thigh strain she picked up in the third round – held to stay in the fight but could not keep Bouchard at bay in her final service game. A big serve wide on the backhand side was the winner’s sign-off for a solid 7-6, 6-2 victory after an hour and 20 minutes. |
| Some of the tennis was exceptional, although the standard dipped too often to describe the match as memorable. But she got the job done. “I’m just going to go for it,” she said of the final. “I’m probably going to have my toughest match yet. I’ve put in a lot of hard work and it’s been years in the making. I’ve had a lot of success but I always want more. | Some of the tennis was exceptional, although the standard dipped too often to describe the match as memorable. But she got the job done. “I’m just going to go for it,” she said of the final. “I’m probably going to have my toughest match yet. I’ve put in a lot of hard work and it’s been years in the making. I’ve had a lot of success but I always want more. |
| “It took a little bit of mental strength today, but I’m not going to give away my secrets. It’s tough work but it’s what I love. I think I can play even better than I played today.” | “It took a little bit of mental strength today, but I’m not going to give away my secrets. It’s tough work but it’s what I love. I think I can play even better than I played today.” |
| “It’s cool I got to stay at Wimbledon for two whole weeks. It’s not a surprise to me. I expect to be in these finals.” | “It’s cool I got to stay at Wimbledon for two whole weeks. It’s not a surprise to me. I expect to be in these finals.” |
| For someone not long out of her teens (she won the junior title here only two years ago and one of her friends in the game is Laura Robson, herself a junior prodigy), she talks with the assurance of someone who has been on the tour for years and plainly enjoys the limelight. | For someone not long out of her teens (she won the junior title here only two years ago and one of her friends in the game is Laura Robson, herself a junior prodigy), she talks with the assurance of someone who has been on the tour for years and plainly enjoys the limelight. |
| It is as if she always expected to be famous – and always expects to win. “I totally feel like I belong,” Bouchard said. “I want to make my own history.” | It is as if she always expected to be famous – and always expects to win. “I totally feel like I belong,” Bouchard said. “I want to make my own history.” |
| Her battle with Halep, who has moved with impressive swiftness through the rankings over the past 18 months, was riddled with incident. First Halep turned that ankle in the fourth game, requiring courtside strapping, and she never properly regained full and free movement – although Bouchard did not make the most of her injury. | Her battle with Halep, who has moved with impressive swiftness through the rankings over the past 18 months, was riddled with incident. First Halep turned that ankle in the fourth game, requiring courtside strapping, and she never properly regained full and free movement – although Bouchard did not make the most of her injury. |
| That, in part, was due to Halep’s tenacity as they stood and traded booming shots from the baseline all the way up to the tiebreak, when a spectator collapsed and play was halted. “It’s pretty tough to stop in the middle of a tiebreak,” Bouchard said later. “It messes up the rhythm.” | That, in part, was due to Halep’s tenacity as they stood and traded booming shots from the baseline all the way up to the tiebreak, when a spectator collapsed and play was halted. “It’s pretty tough to stop in the middle of a tiebreak,” Bouchard said later. “It messes up the rhythm.” |
| When they resumed, Halep led 3-2 with her serve to come, Bouchard clipped the net for a point then hit the winner on the hour. However, the second set was nowhere near as competitive as Halep wilted visibly. She said later the prospect of having to win two sets while carrying two injuries drained her at the end of a tough fortnight. | When they resumed, Halep led 3-2 with her serve to come, Bouchard clipped the net for a point then hit the winner on the hour. However, the second set was nowhere near as competitive as Halep wilted visibly. She said later the prospect of having to win two sets while carrying two injuries drained her at the end of a tough fortnight. |
| This has been a tumultuous women’s tournament. Serena Williams imploded, physically and mentally, in public; Maria Sharapova, red-lining like a good Russian, had to be levered out in the fourth round by Angelique Kerber, who then fell to Bouchard. | This has been a tumultuous women’s tournament. Serena Williams imploded, physically and mentally, in public; Maria Sharapova, red-lining like a good Russian, had to be levered out in the fourth round by Angelique Kerber, who then fell to Bouchard. |
| So, there at the finish is a cool young Canadian, a Justin Bieber fan happy to joke about taking marriage proposals on Twitter, unfazed about sharing a table with her hero Roger Federer – “I’ve met him before,” she reminded a questioner – at the champions’ dinner on Sunday night. Bouchard, without any doubt, is already a star. | So, there at the finish is a cool young Canadian, a Justin Bieber fan happy to joke about taking marriage proposals on Twitter, unfazed about sharing a table with her hero Roger Federer – “I’ve met him before,” she reminded a questioner – at the champions’ dinner on Sunday night. Bouchard, without any doubt, is already a star. |