In a "What took so long" decision, embattled Canadian tennis player Eugenie Bouchard has fired coach Sam Sumyk.
Tennis.com reported that the one-rising star has split with the coach that previously helped Victoria Azarenka win two Grand Slam titles.
Eugenie Bouchard refuses to shake hands with upcoming foe before match
Bouchard advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 2015 before hiring Sumyk as her coach. She won just four of 17 matches since, including eight opening-match losses.
Bouchard has been dealing with an abdominal strain that contributed to her early exit at Wimbledon - she said she had not practiced in the weeks leading up to the match but couldn't pass up the chance to play at the Grand Slam event.
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She withdrew from the latest WTA event at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, Calif., because of the stomach ailment.
Bouchard shot up the rankings in 2014 with longtime coach Nick Savarino in 2014, reaching the semifinals in three of the four Grand Slam events that included a finals appearance at the French Open. She was ranked as high as No. 5 before finishing the season at No. 7.
Her ranking currently stands at No. 25.
She also created a stir earlier this year in the midst of her slump when she played for the Canadian Team in a Fed Cup tie against Romania. In a news conference before the match, she refused to shake hands with Alexandra Dulgheru, who went out and beat her the next day and then mocked her in a post-match celebration.
Tennis.com added that Marko Dragic, who has trained with her previously in Florida, will work with her while she looks for another full-time coach. She is scheduled next to play the WTA Premier tournament in Toronto, her home country before the U.S. Open starts at the end of the month.
Do you think Eugenie Bouchard waited too long to fire coach Sam Sumyk? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
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