Genie Bouchard's homecoming didn't go as planned.
The 24-year-old Canadian lost in straight sets to Belgian Elise Mertens in the first round of the Rogers Cup women's singles tournament on Tuesday. The result deals a big blow to the event, which sees its most popular homegrown player out after falling at the first hurdle.
La favorite de la foule Eugenie Bouchard fait son entrée sur le Court central.
— Coupe Rogers (@CoupeRogers) August 7, 2018
Hometown favorite @geniebouchard is feeling the #CoupeRogers ❤️ as she enters Centre Court. #FindYourBeat #TrouveTonRythme pic.twitter.com/qszjW7UGO0
MORE: Auger-Aliassme breezes past Pouille for first-round victory
Bouchard struggled with her serve and was erratic throughout the match, with Mertens winning five break points in the contest. It led to a seemingly routine win for Mertens, the World No. 15 who entered the Montreal tournament as the 14th seed.
The 6-2, 6-4 score wasn't as straightforward as the numbers suggest, however. After Mertens claimed the first set rather easily, Bouchard raced out to a 3-0 lead in the second set to indicate that the Canadian was ready to mount a comeback.
Instead, it was Mertens who fought back, with the Belgian erasing Bouchard's advantage by winning six of the next seven games between the two players.
The result was the latest in a long line of frustrating performances for Bouchard in Canada, as the Montreal native went out in the first round for the fourth time in eight total appearances on home soil.
🇨🇦 Genie Bouchard's #RogersCup history
— John Horn (@SportsHorn) August 7, 2018
2018 1st Rd
2017 1st Rd
2016 3rd Rd
2015 1st Rd
2014 2nd Rd
2013 2nd Rd
2012 2nd Rd
2011 1st Rd #WTA
For her part, Bouchard said she wasn't going to allow the disappointing result affect her play going forward.
"I'm not going to let today get me down because a lot didn't go my way today, and therefore I feel at the end of the day I didn't even deserve to win the match because I didn't play good enough tennis," Bouchard told reporters ater the match. "But it's fine. It just gives me a lot to work on, and I look forward to that."
Despite Tuesday's defeat, all is not lost for Bouchard in her hometown return. Along with partner Sloane Stephens, Bouchard is still alive in the women's doubles tournament after advancing to the second round Monday.