LONDON | In the shadow of Wimbledon, about 10 minutes’ drive from the prestigious All England Club, Eugenie Bouchard’s dream of returning to the tournament she loves so much ended in her first qualifier on Tuesday.
“Genie”, who had dropped to world No. 218 after suffering a serious shoulder injury that kept her out of action for over a year, was beaten 6-4, 7-5 by Belgium’s Greet Minnen, who was ranked No. 121 .
Photo Jessica Lapinski
As a “qualifier” of the most legendary major tournament that takes place in Roehampton, the Quebecer will therefore not have the opportunity to rediscover the stadium where she played her only Grand Slam final in 2014.
Platforms for Eugenie
“Genie” tried to last in front of the 200 or so spectators in the stands to witness the former tennis star’s efforts.
Because while most of the Roehampton site lacks a platform for amateurs to sit on folding chairs or directly on the grass, the organizers had reserved the grandstand-lined center for their former finalist.
When the score was 5: 4, the 29-year-old got breakballs in the first and then in the second set and thus secured the score. She managed to do that in the second set, the Belgian pulling the rug out from under her by breaking it on her next move on serve.