BOUCHARD WAITING FOR "BIG MOMENT"
Eugenie Bouchard is still "waiting for a big moment to go nuts" - despite reaching her maiden grand slam final at Wimbledon.
The 20-year-old will take on 2011 champion Petra Kvitova for the All England Club title, after dispatching Simona Halep in straight sets on Thursday.
Canadian Bouchard won the girl's singles title just two years ago, but has already added a grand slam final to her Australian and French Open last-four appearances.
Ice-cold Bouchard remains unsated by her meteoric rise however, refusing to toast her progress at SW19.
"I'm waiting for a big moment to go nuts," she said. "Of course, achieving a lifelong dream like winning a grand slam is very exciting to me.
"But I feel my job is not done here, so there's no need for a huge celebration, because I'm still working. I still have another match.
"I felt very calm in general (against Halep). I was proud of myself, but I know I have another step."
Bouchard has spent this Wimbledon fortnight notching any number of Canadian firsts, chief among them reaching the tournament final.
Brushing off comparisons with five-time grand slam winner Maria Sharapova given her steely focus, Bouchard admitted she faces her "toughest match yet" against 24-year-old Kvitova.
"I see it as a compliment to be compared to someone like Sharapova who has won five slams," said Bouchard, who saw off French Open finalist Halep 7-6 (7/5) 6-2.
"She's a great champion so I see it in a positive light.
"But I'm also my own person, I don't want to be the next someone else.
"I want to be the first of me.
"I want to be my own individual person - I'll try to make my own history.
"I think it will be my toughest match yet (against Kvitova).
"I'm looking forward to the challenge.
"I know she obviously likes the grass and has some good weapons, so I will be ready for those.
"I'll try to impose my own weapons and game against her.
"We'll both be going at it, which will make for a very good match."
Kvitova vowed to master the crippling pressure that dogged her Wimbledon title defence when she steps into her first grand slam final since 2011.
The 24-year-old dispatched close friend and Czech compatriot Lucie Safarova in straight sets on Thursday, to set up her second grand slam and Wimbledon final.
The world number six admitted the burden of expectation proved all-consuming after she claimed the All England Club title in 2011.
Andy Murray turned to Amelie Mauresmo to cope with defending his Wimbledon crown - Kvitova leaned on sports psychologist Michal Safar, but conceded it took two years to come to terms with champion status.
"When I won here in 2011 I needed to change myself both on and off the court a little bit," she said, after easing past Safarova 7-6 (8/6) 6-1.
"I had to get used to the pressure, I won here quite young, and it was difficult for me to handle it, definitely.
"I'm glad that happened though: I would never change it for something else.
"These years in between have been really up and down, and I knew people were expecting more from me than I delivered.
"It's tough to stay with the pressure every time you step on court, being the favourite isn't easy.
"It takes some getting used to, definitely.
"That's something that I'm living with now, I don't think it will change - it's part of my life now, and that's it.
"Everything in my life changed after Wimbledon.
"I'm still working on the mental side, that's something I really need.
"When I'm still living with the pressure, that's what I really need to handle.
"With my sports psychologist, it's nice to talk with someone who probably knows how I'm feeling before my match.
"He'll be trying to talk to me about the next match, what I should do, what I have to prepare for.
"During the tournament it's really about keeping the focus, sometimes about visualisation, and certainly the little things."
