Wimbledon 2015 Day 2: Eugenie Bouchard, Simona Halep and Laura Robson Exit Early

Eugenie Bouchard (click to enlarge)

Three big names to hardcore tennis aficionados took first round exits from Wimbledon 2015 on day 2. All three are dealing with different issues at the moment. I’ll start with Laura Robson. Hers was the least surprising loss (6-4 6-4 to Evgeniya Rodina). This was only her second match back after missing 17 months with a wrist injury. Laura has a great game. If she wants to put in the work, she will be back. Then there’s Simona Halep, the third seed. Her losing to Jana Cepelova was the big upset of the tournament so far. Halep made the semifinals last year, is a multiple title winner this year and is ranked #3 in the world. She’s also going home, unfortunately. With Simona, she’s played so well for a long run the past couple of years. I wonder if she needs to maybe take a rest, play fewer events. Speaking of maybe taking a rest…or at least a break to reassess some things…Eugenie Bouchard rounds out the trio of first round upset casualties. Even though she was in the final last year, her loss to Ying-Ying Duan was far less surprising than Halep’s. I thought Genie would win, but she has now lost 12 of her last 14 matches so I am not shocked that she didn’t. Her reaching three Major semifinals in a row, including a final, wasn’t a fluke last year. But she has to find that player again. It’s non-existent right now. Maybe it starts with coaching, getting Nick Saviano back. Maybe it starts with her mental approach. Maybe…and I haven’t heard as much of this as I thought I might…she has become a bit too thin. I thought she had a little more weight on her last year. It reminds me of a few years ago when Ana Ivanovic to my eyes became a little too thin. Slim is ok, but in today’s women’s game you need power unless you are a magically creative shotmaker like Agnieszka Radwanska. I don’t know what the answer for Bouchard is, but I know she is far too young and talented to give up on.