Monday: Canadian dubs day at the Open

MELBOURNE – In theory, there would be four matches involving Canadians on the schedule at the Australian Open Monday.

In reality, there ended up being only three as Genie Bouchard pulled out of the mixed doubles before her first-rounder with partner Sam Groth.

Here’s a slideshow of the Canadians’ day.

Bouchard and partner Vera Dushevina – hereafter known as Bouch and the Douch – went down 6-4, 6-3 to the No. 6 seeds in the women’s doubles draw, Sania Mirza and Cara Black. The score doesn’t truly give a picture of what that match really was. Bouchard is actually lucky to come out of it without any balls bruises.

As for Daniel Nestor – who used to be the big deal around a Grand Slam in the second week because he was the only Canadian left alive – has been quietly going out his business.

On Monday, he and old-new partner Nenad Zimonjic squeaked by the Polish team of Fyrstenberg and Matkowski (the No. 9 seeds to their No. 8) 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3.

They served for it in the second set, but were broken. Nestor really wasn’t putting much on his volleys, and partner Zimonjic made a whole bunch of unforced errors. Nevertheless, they prevailed.

Fyrstenberg and Nestor met again later on, as the Pole and partner Lisa Raymond took on Nestor and partner Kristina Mladenovic in mixed.

The Franco-Canadian pair prevailed, 6-4, 6-1 against two very good doubles players.

So: Bouchard is out of everything except the singles. She plays Ana Ivanovic Tuesday afternoon in the quarterfinals.

Nestor remains in both: the third round of mixed and the quarter-finals of the doubles.

Because he and Zimonjic were scheduled as the second night match on Rod Laver Arena (based mostly on the principle that their opponents are Aussies), there will be no mixed doubles for him on Tuesday.

 

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