Below is Tennis Manitoba’s feature on some memorable achievements from Canadians at the Australian Open.
- Eugenie Bouchard’s breakthrough season in 2014 saw her reach two Grand Slam semifinals and the final of Wimbledon, with her first big result coming at the Australian Open. Bouchard went into the tournament that year as the No. 30 seed. She beat Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic 5-7, 7-5, 6-2 in the quarterfinals before falling to eventual champion Na Li of China 6-2, 6-4 in the semis.
- Milos Raonic came through qualifying at the 2011 Australian Open to win three main draw matches, including a 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 victory over No. 10 seed Mikhail Youzhny. Raonic was defeated in the fourth round by Spain’s David Ferrer. Raonic was a quarterfinalist at the tournament in 2015 and 2017, and a semifinalist in 2016.
- Daniel Nestor has won a men’s doubles title and three mixed doubles crowns in Melbourne. He partnered with Mark Knowles of the Bahamas to win the men’s doubles in 2002, defeating the French team of Fabrice Santoro/Michael Llodra 7-6, 6-3 in the championship match. Nestor was a finalist in men’s doubles at the tournament in 1995 (partner Knowles), 2003 (partner Knowles), 2010 (partner Nenad Zimonjic) and 2016 (partner Radek Stepanek). Nestor’s mixed doubles titles at the Australian Open came in 2007 with Elena Likhovtseva of Russia, in 2011 with Slovenia’s Katarina Srebotnik, and in 2014 with Kristina Mladenovic of France. Nestor has been a finalist twice in mixed doubles at the tournament: in 2006 with Likhovtseva and in 2015 with Mladenovic.
- Sebastien Lareau was a finalist in men’s doubles at the Australian Open in 1996 and ’97, both years teaming up with American Alex O’Brien.
- The Canadian duo of Grant Connell/Glenn Michibata reached the final of men’s doubles in Melbourne in 1990, losing 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 to Pieter Aldrich/Danie Visser.
- Jill Hetherington was a finalist in women’s doubles in 1989 with American Patty Fendick, falling to Martina Navratilova/Pam Shriver 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
- Canada has produced three junior girls’ doubles champions at the tournament: Sharon Fichman in 2006 with Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Carol Zhao in 2013 with Ana Konjuh of Croatia, and Bianca Andreescu in 2017 with American Carson Branstine.
- Filip Peliwo was a finalist in junior boys’ singles at the Australian Open in 2012, while Jocelyn Robichard was a finalist in junior boys’ doubles in 1996 with Daniele Bracciali of Italy.
