Eugenie Bouchard dispatches Shahar Peer in round one – Rogers Cup 2012
World number 237, Eugenie Bouchard, routed the 56th ranked Israeli star, Shahar Peer, in the opening clash of the Rogers Cup at her hometown, Montreal. It was a welcome victory for the host who battled her way back from
a set down to win the match 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.
Bouchard commented afterwards, "I loved the atmosphere. The crowd reaction was insane. I'm proud of the way I played and fought, especially in the third set. I was getting tired but I stayed in there. I'm happy I continued playing
the way I wanted to."
Peer started the match in dismal style; lost four straight points on her serve to go down a break in the first game. Bouchard continued to hammer her opponent and won the following four points to extend the lead.
However, the 25-year-old Israeli held her nerves and fought back into the set with a breakthrough in the fourth game that equalized the scores at 2-2.
The 18-year-old Canadian wildcard entrant saved three breakpoints in the eighth game but failed to hold her opponent on the fourth occurrence; went down 3-5 and squandered four breakpoints in the following game that proved to her
downfall in the opening set.
The second set witnessed a cracking start for the Canadian who broke serve thrice on the trot to take a lead of 5-1. She had lost a breakpoint in the third game and couldn’t hold serve to bag the set. However, the breakthrough
in the eighth game proved to be eventful especially for the teenager who forced her opponent into the third set.
A traditional start to the final set witnessed first six games passed by without much drama. An exchange of breakthrough in the following two games kept the scores together at 4-4. Both players held their serves to survive the
late scares in the set and push the scores further to 5-5.
Bouchard was on the verge of losing a breakpoint but managed to hang on to her serve after a fierce battle. Peer couldn’t handle the pressure and gifted the breakpoint to her opponent that ended her run in the first round.
The 10th seed Li Na will be Bouchard’s next foe.
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