MADRID — It was a reasonably routine qualifying victory in the relative obscurity of Stadium 3 at the Mutua Madrid Open. But for Eugenie Bouchard, this represented a huge leap forward — and, at the same time, a blessedly backward-feeling bounce.
The 29-year-old Canadian prevailed 6-3, 6-2 over Elizabeth Mandlik in the second round of qualifying on Tuesday. That delivered her first main-draw WTA Tour 1000 berth without the benefit of a wild card in more than four years. Bouchard will plays fellow qualifier Dayana Yastremska in the opening round.
Afterward, speaking with three reporters, Bouchard was asked if it was a big moment. Bouchard responded with a soft sigh.
“Umm …” she said, tempered by a recent history of false restarts. “Yes and no. I’ve gotten a couple of good matches in. I’m just proud that I’m able to have a chance to play another match. Matches are what I need right now — I’ve been off intermittently for a while.
“It’s like restarting at zero.”
Bouchard was talking about the Madrid draw, but she could have been describing the current state of her often cathartic career. Standing with her arms behind her back, blonde hair pulled tight by a lavender scrunchie, she candidly and thoughtfully discussed her early breakthroughs, the fallow period that followed and the grueling comeback from shoulder surgery.
