The Canadian is into her first semi final of 2021 after beating her American opponent.
Eugenie Bouchard will play her first semi final of the season in Guadalajara after beating the American Caty McNally in straight sets 6-4,6-3. The Westmount native fired six aces and won 60% of her first serves in the win.
” Ya I’m super proud of myself because the turnaround was crazy, I’ve never had to land the night before a first-round main draw match, I don’t think I’ve ever done that from a different continent, indoors to outdoors, different conditions, seven-hour time zone difference so It was the craziest thing, I told myself to try my best and see what happens, I hit the ground running, my first match was really really tough and I have been waking up every day, playing every day and here I am”
She got off to a slow start and the American jumped on the early nerves she was facing and earned a breakpoint to get the first break of the match but the world number 144 rallied to hold the opening service game.
At 1-1 once again struggling on serve the Canadian served a double fault and gave the world number 44 another breakpoint and this time she made no mistake breaking to take a 2-1 lead.
At 3-2 Bouchard determined to stay in the set played a solid game and managed to get her first breakpoint of the match to go back on serve and she did just that breaking the American to make it 3-3.
At 5-4 with McNally serving to stay in the set the Canadian hit three straight forehand winners to get to set point and then break to take the first set 6-4
The begining of the second set was similar to the first with the world number 44 earning break points once again in the first game but the world number 144 again did a good job saving them and holding serve.
The very next game Bouchard earned two more breakpoints and would break the American serve to take a 2-0 lead after she returned a ball long. That break was good enough for the Canadian and she would serve it out to take the set 6-3 and the match.
After the match she spoke of the fact that in Mexico they are able to play in front of fans and how grateful she is.
” It’s so special I can’t empathize that enough, It’ so special to play in front of fans, it’s probably the most amount of fans I’ve played in front of in over a year ago, it’s so much more fun to play”
She also spoke the match and the win today and how she was able to get the victory.
” I felt like I played solid today and it was tough conditions, there was wind, she was getting a lot of balls back so I had to try and be smart and find a way to win, I’m happy even though I think I wasn’t playing that well, I’m happy I was able to stay focused, stay strong mentally to pull it out”.
She will next face Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the semi-finals tonight looking to book her spot in the final of the Abierto Zapopan.
