PETE ZIEBRON
2014 Nurnberg Champion Genie Bouchard Pete Ziebron Images
2014 Strasbourg Champion Monica Puig Pete Ziebron Images
Canadian Genie Bouchard and Monica Puig of Puerto Rico each won their first career WTA titles today on the red clay in Europe. Bouchard notched a 6-2 4-6 6-3 victory over Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in Nurnberg, Germany while Puig recorded a 6-4 6-3 win over Spaniard Silvia Soler-Espinosa in Strasbourg, France.
Bouchard struggled coming into Nurnberg, having lost her last 3 matches on clay: 6-4 6-1 to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the 3rd round in Oerias, Portgual, 7-6(3) 6-2 to Aga Radwanska in Madrid and 6-4 6-2 to Francesca Schiavone in Rome. Meanwhile, Puig entered the Nurnberg draw with confidence, having beaten Daniela Hantuchova in the 3rd round last week in Rome before losing to Maria Sharapova 6-3 7-5 in a tight 4th round match.
This week, Puig recorded impressive wins over Andrea Petkovic of Germany 6-3 6-2 in the quarters as well as a 7-5 6-3 win over hard hitting American Madison Keys in the semifinal. Bouchard was tested mightily in the quarterfinals this week by Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan, before she ultimately prevailed 7-6(3) 7-6(6).
Both Genie Bouchard and Monica Puig competed in the now defunct $75K Goldwater Women's Tennis Classic that was held in Phoenix in November from 2009-2012. In fact, 4 ladies that played in the Goldwater Classic reached the quarterfinals this week in Strasbourg: Camila Giorgi, Christina McHale, Madison Keys and Monica Puig. All but Giorgi advanced to the semifinals.
Goldwater Classic Alumnae in the WTA Top 100
- #16 Sloane Stephens (USA)
- #19 Genie Bouchard (CAN)
- #36 Jamie Hampton (USA)
- #43 Alison Riske (USA)
- #44 Madison Keys (USA)
- #46 Caroline Garcia (FRA)
- #50 Varvara Lepchenko (USA)
- #51 Camila Giorgi (ITA)
- #56 Monica Puig (PUR)
- #59 Christina McHale (USA)
- #71 Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO)
- #77 Sharon Fichman (CAN)
- #84 Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA)
- #87 Coco Vandeweghe (USA)
- #90 Chanelle Scheepers (RSA)
- #92 Heather Watson (GBR)
- #98 Julia Glusko (ISR)
Genie Bouchard, a semifinalist at this year's Australian Open, opens her Roland Garros campaign against Shahar Peer of Israel. Monica Puig will face Australian Samantha Stosur, who was a finalist at Roland Garros in 2010 as well as a semifinalist in 2009 and 2012.
Just last August in Cincinnati, Both Genie Bouchard and Monica Puig needed to win 2 qualifying matches to reach the main draw. Ironically, they played each other with Bouchard winning 6-3 6-4. They would meet once again in October in the 1st round in Tokyo and once again Genie Bouchard won 6-0 6-4.
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