Bouchard Makes History

Eugenie Bouchard is looking to become the first Canadian to reach a Grand Slam singles final at the Australian Open. The match will she the Montreal native play Li Na of China following a win over Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic

She has reached the semifinals with respectable scores of 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, and according to her, she isn’t done yet.

“This is something I’ve been doing since I was five years old and working my whole life for and sacrificing a lot of things for,” said Bouchard. “So it’s not exactly a surprise. I always expect myself to do well. I’m just happy to have gone through this step. I’m not done. I have a match on Thursday. I’m just looking forward to that.”

Li rolled to a straight sets victory (6-2, 6-2) over Italy’s Flavia Pennetta in the quarterfinals.

“Li’s a great champion, she’s won a Slam, as well, it’s going to be really tough,” said Bouchard, playing in the main draw of a major for only the fourth time. “I played her once in Montreal two years ago. We had a close match, one of my first bigger matches.

“It will be interesting to play her. I know she’s very solid, very good from the back. It’s going to be hard, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Bouchard, 19, is the first Canadian to go to the semifinals in singles play at a major since Toronto’s Carling Bassett did it at the 1984 U.S. Open.

If Bouchard wins tonight, she will join Greg Rusedski and Mary Pierce as the only other Montreal-born players to make the finals of a Grand Slam. Rusedski represented Great Britain when he made the U.S.

Open final in 1997, while Pierce won two Grand Slam titles representing France.

According to WTA calculations, Bouchard’s quarterfinal victory should also vault her into the Top 20 in the world rankings.