Hong Kong Open organizers upset with Eugenie Bouchard withdrawing

Organizers of the Hong Kong Open are upset with No. 8 ranked Eugenie Bouchard after the rising women's star pulled out of the tournament on Saturday.

Bouchard cited fatigue as a key reason in her decision, and it's easy to understand where she's coming from. She's participated in four tournaments since the beginning of August and has at times struggled from exhaustion on the court.

Despite a fairly valid reason, an Open official slammed Bouchard on Saturday, upset because the organizers heavily promoted her appearing. Herbert Chow Siu-lung, president of the Hong Kong Tennis Association, explained their frustration:

We are very disappointed with her and her decision not to come to Hong Kong. She lost in the fourth round and it took her until now to give us a written reply that she would not be coming.
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We had her on posters everywhere. We feel let down that she did not honour her agreement to turn up in Hong Kong.
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If Bouchard was injured we could understand and wish her well. But she is simply tired. When she agreed to come, as an athlete she should understand there is the possibility that she could do well during the spring and summer and be a bit tired. But surely she should have kept her word.

Perhaps irking Chow even more is the fact that Bouchard will play later in September at the Wuhan Open, a WTA Premier event. The Hong Kong Open, however, is two weeks earlier, beginning on Sept. 8, and Bouchard affords herself some recovery time by missing it.

"I am really disappointed not to be able to play," Bouchard said in a statement. "I had been very much looking forward to it but unfortunately my medical team has advised me that I need to take the next two weeks off from competition to rest and recover after a very long season."