Jack Todd: Genie Bouchard exhibiting off ability and toughness that made her a star

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The qualifier was performed indoors in Madrid, the lighting poor, the “crowd” sparse as hen’s tooth. The standard of the video was so poor it took some time even to determine which participant was Genie Bouchard.

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When you zeroed in on the younger lady carrying the blue skirt, black sleeveless high and black socks, it was apparent from the searing floor strokes, the economic system of motion, the sheer implacable will to win each level, that this was a participant with a superior pedigree, regardless of the circumstances.

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It was a far cry from Wimbledon 2014, when Bouchard was scorched within the closing on Centre Courtroom by Petra Kvitova with the world watching, together with a sprinkling of Hollywood B-listers in her field to bask within the glow of her rising fame.

This week, the 29-year-old Montreal native rolled by way of each her qualifiers to make the principle draw of a WTA 1000 occasion with out advantage of a wild card for the primary time in additional than 4 years, then received a first-round match towards Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, one other participant making an attempt to battle her means again up the rankings.

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Bouchard misplaced a tiebreak within the opening set, however then took over the match, successful the second 6-2, misplaced the primary two video games of the third set, then reeled off six consecutive video games to guide a spot within the Spherical of 64.

That match Friday, towards world No. 18 Martina Trevisan, didn’t go so properly. Trevisan is unimposing at 5-foot-3, however she is a tricky nut to crack — maybe as a result of she’s a lefty, or as a result of she possesses essentially the most annoying shriek this facet of Victoria Azarenka. No matter, Bouchard by no means bought getting in dropping the primary set 6-2, then managed to maintain it degree to 5-5 of the second earlier than dropping the ultimate two video games and the match.

What are we to make of all this? Is Genie again? (Apparently, TSN doesn’t suppose so — whilst Bouchard was taking part in Trevisan, the community that after fawned over her was exhibiting Anna Kalinskaya’s upset of Elena Rybakina.)

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To start with, Genie by no means left. To her credit score, she has by no means given up on her tennis profession, regardless of the accidents, regardless of the losses, regardless of the time spent knocking across the ITF tour making an attempt to recuperate her sport.

She is a more durable lady now than when she was nearly on high of the world. The match towards Yastremska provided a glimpse of that toughness. There was a time when, after dropping that opening tiebreak, Bouchard would have fallen aside. She would have began spraying forehands outdoors the strains and bowed out rapidly. In Madrid, she dug in, fought more durable and bought the win.

Maybe it’s time for a sober look again on the complete Genie Bouchard phenomenon. She was, for a dizzying 12 months or two, essentially the most wildly well-liked Canadian tennis participant ever. Members of Genie’s Military adopted her all the best way to Australia. She was one of the vital photographed girls on the earth.

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Then all of it fell aside in essentially the most public means, starting with the loss to Kvitova at Wimbledon.

“That one was so scarring,” Bouchard mentioned on a podcast final 12 months. “I’ve not been in a position to watch it. It’s a type of traumatic experiences. It’s like you may’t relive that as a result of it’s simply so painful.”

There have all the time been parallels between Bouchard and former Canadiens star P.Ok. Subban, arguably the 2 most charismatic athletes of this century in Montreal. Each had nice success early, Bouchard at Wimbledon and Subban with the 2013 Norris Trophy. Each had been closely criticized, Subban being an excessive amount of the person in a crew sport, Bouchard for a perceived lack of focus on her sport.

The highlight magnifies the great and the unhealthy. Bouchard was 20 throughout that career-defining loss at Wimbledon, Subban was 24 when he received the Norris. The next season, he led the Canadiens by way of that stirring sequence win over the Bruins.

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Each scored historic firsts: Bouchard the primary Canadian to make a closing at one of many majors, Subban the primary Black participant to win the Norris. Each provoked dramatically opposed opinions amongst followers, each reached the head of their careers in 2014.

Have been we too exhausting on these younger athletes? Most likely. It grows out of nice expectations. When Bouchard appeared much less occupied with tennis than with what she known as “maximizing my model,” it appeared a waste of expertise.

When she refused to shake fingers with Romania’s Alexandra Dulgheru earlier than their Fed Cup match in 2015, it appeared a transparent indication that fame had gone to her head. All of us missed the impact on her psyche of that loss at Wimbledon, the impact on any athlete of mass adulation that may activate a dime into one thing very nasty.

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Genie Bouchard in the present day appears destined to reside her life within the highlight, regardless of how issues are happening the court docket. Her head cheerleader in Madrid was a younger man named Jack Brinkley-Prepare dinner, her present boyfriend and the son of supermodel Christie Brinkley.

The Genie we noticed in Madrid was simple to love. Humble, hard-working, nonetheless enormously proficient. Lengthy might she serve.

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