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Low-key preparation for 2014 semi-finalist Eugenie Bouchard at the French Open
PARIS – It's crunch time for Genie Bouchard as she returns to Paris, the scene of her inspiring run to the French Open semi-finals a year ago, which ended with a solid three-set effort against eventual champion Maria Sharapova.
And if you didn't know she was here, you wouldn't even know she was here. Whether it's deliberate or not, it's not a bad way to go given Bouchard's on-court struggles this season.
Bouchard's "it-girl" face hasn't yet been seen in the local media, and the tournament officially gets under way on Sunday. She wasn't even requested by any of the myriad television rights holders here, all of whom lined the "media walk" on Friday with the various top seeds making their way down the line, answering basically the same questions from each camera and presenter.
A request to her representatives by your Eh Game correspondent for a short interview before the French Open was quickly met with an "Unfortunately, that will not be possible."
TSN, as the French Open television rights holder, does have some privileges as a result of that and was able to get a short interview with Bouchard Saturday.
"I don’t really have expectations for this tournament. I’ts been a tough couple of months, I’m not panicking, but I’m just taking it one match at a time, and trying to enjoy it as well.
"It’s been tough, but it’s taught me patience, first of all. It’s taught me that not everything will go smoothly. and I have to accept the lows just as I accept the highs. I feel like everyone has been kind of panicking a little bit, but I’m pretty calm about it, and I'm fine, even if I lost a couple of matches, you know, I can get over that. Life is still very, very good. For me, it’s great. I’m at a Grand Slam, I’m happy to be here no matter what happens, I’ll just try my best," Bouchard told TSN.
Bouchard said she felt she had taken some positive steps on the practice court of late, although it has yet to translate to the match court to a level that would satisfy her.
As for her first-round opponent, France's Kristina Mladenovic, Bouchard told TSN she knew the 23-year-old "can have big weapons and some big shots," and she knows pretty much the entire crowd will be cheering for her opponent. "I’m expecting the crowd against me, which is fine. I like to challenge that," she said.
On Saturday, Bouchard played a practice set with Kaia Kanepi of Estonia, before heading down the road to an alternate club for another practice session.
We weren't keeping score, but Bouchard didn't win too many games. Practice scores mean absolutely nothing, though.
Bouchard's boyfriend, hockey player Jordan Caron, was there for the practice. He didn't say a word, and he mostly looked a little bored (frankly, it's not the most fascinating thing to watch day after day). Caron has been on board since the tournament in Madrid, through to Rome two weeks ago and now to Paris.
Bouchard smiled a friendly hello when Carla Suárez Navarro, her opponent in that dramatic last match in Rome, came on court with Simona Halep of Romania to kick her off.
There probably isn't a human being alive who doesn't love Suárez Navarro.
Bouchard and Mladenovic (who reached the final in Strasbourg Saturday and lost in three sets to Samantha Stosur of Australia), won't play their first-round match until Tuesday.
