Bouchard Finally into the Second Round!
It’s a miracle! Eugenie Bouchard has won her first match in what seems like forever! Only her third win in the last ten matches, this first round victory over Katyrena Bondarenko is kind of a big deal for the 2014 Wimbledon finalist. Bouchard has what has to be the most disappointing 2015 season of anyone. We can only hope she gains just a little bit of confidence in Cincinnati. When wins come so few and far between, she has to take advantage of them whenever they arise.
Other Canadians Don’t Have as Much Luck
While one Canadian may be finding a little bit of her stride again, the other Canadians aren’t having much luck. Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil both struggled with injuries earlier on in the summer. Remember when neither could play for the Davis Cup? Their luck hasn’t seemed to turn around when both were faced with tough early round opponents. In the first round, Feliciano Lopez broke Milos Raonic just once but it was all he needed to take the match in straight sets. After Pospisil defeated rising American star Denis Kudla, he drew Grigor Dimitrov for his second round match, another player that has struggled with his rhythm this year. Both sets went to tiebreakers, but Dimitrov pulled out the win in the end.
The Withdrawals
Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams made the tough decision to pull out of Cincinnati. Sharapova is nursing a right leg strain and wants to make sure that her entire body is healthy going into the US Open. Venus Williams, who suffers from an autoimmune disease, felt under the weather going into her second round match. She is disappointed that she can’t have more matches going into the US Open, but she says, “I have to use my experience” to prepare for the US Open, something that she definitely does not lack.
The End of Isner’s Run
John Isner has had a stellar US Open season. He won the Atlanta Tennis Championships and was runner-up at Citi Open. All good things must come to an end though, and the 6’10” American lost to fellow countryman Sam Querrey in the first round.
American Survivors
Women: Varvara Lepchenko, Madison Keys, Coco Vandeweghe, and of course Serena Williams
Men: Sam Querry, Jack Sock, and Wild Cards’ Mardy Fish and Jared Donaldson
