Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard had been one of the most promising prospects when she arrived first on tour. In the year 2014, she had the best season of her career. She managed to reach the semi-finals at the Australian Open and French Open that year. The former world no. 5 was the finalist at Wimbledon that season.
However, the Canadian has not been able to maintain those standards set in recent years. With the 2021 season soon about to begin, Bouchard is planning on playing the Australian Open, although this time she needs to pass through the qualifying stages. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the qualifiers are going to be held in Dubai.
Eugenie Bouchard to headline Australian Open 2021 Qualifiers
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Tournament director, Craig Tiley was grateful to the authorities of the UAE for their help in conducting the qualifying rounds. He stated, “We appreciate the assistance of our friends and colleagues in Dubai for hosting the Australian Open 2021 women’s qualifying event due to the current travel restrictions into Australia.”
The Australian Open 2021 main draw is going to be held in Melbourne from February 8 till February 21. The qualifying round will take place from January 10 till 13.
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The Dubai Sports Council also complimented the organizers of the Australian Open. They issued a statement which said, “We are really proud to welcome 128 tennis players from around the globe for the women’s qualifying of the Australian Open 2021. The decision to host these events here shows the global sports fraternity’s confidence in Dubai’s ability to deliver top-notch tournaments in completely safe surroundings in these challenging times.”
Players such as Eugenie Bouchard and US Open 2020 quarterfinalist Tsvetana Pironkova will be seen in action in Dubai. Usually, the main draw begins in the month of January and ends at the beginning of February.