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Bouchard's last dance in Montreal begins with a win

Bouchard's last dance in Montreal begins with a win

Qatar Tribune29-07-2025
Eugenie Bouchard isn't ready to say goodbye to professional tennis quite yet. The 2014 Wimbledon finalist, who announced earlier this month that the Omnium Banque Nationale in Montreal will be her final career tournament, defeated Emiliana Arango in three sets on Monday night 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to delight the packed house that came to see her play for maybe the last time at IGA Stadium. The former World No. 5, who last played a tour-level main draw match in 2023, is playing on a wild card -- and currently doesn't have a ranking in the WTA Rankings. However, that didn't stop her from breaking the World No. 82 six times in 2 hours and 14 minutes on court -- putting her through to a second-round meeting with No. 17 seed Belinda Bencic. On the eve of the tournament, Bouchard said she hoped that her final tournament would be a 'like a celebration, not a funeral.' She certainly got that vibe in primetime on Day 2 of the main draw at the WTA 1000 event -- especially as she soared to victory with three of her service breaks in the deciding set. 'It was electric out there. I had so much fun. I'm so proud of how I competed and stayed focused throughout the whole match and fought,' Bouchard said afterwards. 'It was a physical battle, a mental battle, and it just felt amazing to play in Montreal in front of everyone.' (WTA)
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