Oblivious to a row brewing over her withdrawal from last year’s Hong Kong Open, Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard continued her impressive run at the Hopman Cup with a straight sets victory over Italian Flavia Pennetta yesterday.
The 20-year-old Bouchard, who thrashed US world No. 1 Serena Williams in the mixed team event on Tuesday, beat Pennetta 6-3, 6-4 without being broken in the match in Perth.
“Each game was kind of like a battle and I’m happy I was able to keep my serve in the second set; you know she was really putting pressure on me,” Bouchard said after defeating the world No. 12.
Photo: AFP
However, the Canadian world No. 6 was unaware that her last minute withdrawal from September last year’s inaugural Hong Kong Open, which drew the ire of the organizers, remained a hot topic yesterday.
The Hong Kong Tennis Association (HKTA) publicly criticized Bouchard, who said she was tired after playing at the US Open, for which they have been fined US$10,000.
The WTA cited a breach of code of conduct by the HKTA and said the comments had hurt Bouchard’s reputation and financial interests, according to a South China Morning Post report.
HKTA president Herbert Chow Siu-lung called the WTA sanction an “injustice” and said the association would appeal against it.
“I see this as an act of bullying and intimidation and I ask that this [HKTA] council responds responsibly to such injustice from the WTA,” Chow was quoted as saying in the report.
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