Eugenie Bouchard of Montreal, Quebec has reached the quarterfinals of the 2020 ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand. In fact, this is the second straight season that Bouchard has reached the final eight of New Zealand’s most prestigious women’s tennis tournament.
On Tuesday, Bouchard reached the quarterfinals by beating eighth ranked Caroline Garcia of France 6-4, 6-4. This was the second time in Bouchard’s career she beat Garcia in the Oceania region. At the 2015 Australian Open, Bouchard beat Garcia 7-5, 6-0. Earlier in the week, Bouchard beat 2013 Wimbledon semifinalist Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium 7-5, 7-5 in the first round of the tournament.
Both of Bouchard’s wins this week could be considered upsets. Bouchard is currently ranked 262nd in the world. Garcia is ranked 46th and eighth in Auckland, while Flipkens is ranked 72nd.
As mentioned Bouchard did reach the quarterfinals in New Zealand in 2019. She beating Madison Brengle of the United States and Bibiane Schoofs of the Netherlands, but only won two other matches during the entire 2019 WTA season. Those other wins came in a 6-2, 6-1 win over Shuai Peng of China in the first round of the Australian Open and in a 6-3, 6-4 win over Vera Lapko of Belarus in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship.
Bouchard will now face third seed Amanda Anisimova of the United States in one of four quarterfinals on Friday (Thursday evening in Canada). Anisimova reached the semifinals of the 2019 French Open. Other quarterfinal matches have Serena Williams of the United States against Laura Siegemund of Germany, Julia Gorges of Germany against Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and Alize Cornet of France against Jessica Pegula of the United States.
Gorges is the defending champion as she beat Canadian tennis star Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ontario 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 last year. Andreescu did not participate in Auckland in 2020 because of a knee injury.
