By Erik Gudris | Tuesday, August 5, 2014
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American qualifier Shelby Rogers earned her first top 10 win over Eugenie Bouchard in a surprise upset at the Rogers Cup.
Photo Credit: AP
Montreal is famous for its bagels. But the two bagels American Shelby Rogers delivered to Canada's biggest female tennis star are ones local fans will want to forget.
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In a surprise upset, the World No. 113 Rogers defeated Canadian No. 1 Eugenie Bouchard in a three set match at the Rogers Cup that dented hopes for a hometown champion from the Montreal native.
Bouchard entered the main stadium to a racous standing ovation. Yet that energy, like the power failure that plagued the event earlier in the day, soon evaporated. Looking flat and visibly nervous, Bouchard could barely keep the ball in play or in the court as she fell behind early in the first set. Rogers, a recent finalist in Bad Gastein a few weeks ago, played steady enough tennis to earn at 3-0 lead.
Bouchard, who at one changeover told her coach Nick Saviano that she wanted to get off the court, kept trying to get something going to no avail. As the stunned local crowd looked on, Rogers soon closed out the opening set 6-0.
Bouchard finally got on the scoreboard in the opening game of the second set. With the crowd now sounding more confident, that seemed to inspire Bouchard. The recent Wimbledon finalist took hold of a break lead and never let go. Bouchard claimed the second set 6-2 and forced a decider.
Yet Rogers wouldn't waver. Seizing yet another break of Bouchard's serve with a potent return, Rogers took care of her own serve down the stretch. That included confident serving when Bouchard threatened the American while up 3-0. Holding for 4-0, Rogers then broke Bouchard again to earn a chance to serve for the match.
With one more big serve, Rogers celebrated the improbable but satisfying 6-0, 2-6, 6-0 victory giving her her first ever top 10 win.
Bouchard, who admitted feeling pressure playing in front of the home crowd, tried to look at the positives.
"This is a situation where I'll learn a lot...It's a match I'll be motivated by."
For Rogers, she just wanted to enjoy the moment on a big stage.
"At times I was trying to stay in my little zone. I just wanted to enjoy the experience," Rogers said.
Despite losing the second set, Rogers decided to reset and just focus on the third.
"It's one set all. Just take it one point at a time and it worked," Rogers said on her big win.
In earlier results, Venus Williams defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 3-6, 6-2. Madison Keys advanced over recent Washington D.C. winner Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 3-2 after the Russian retired in the second set.