Many celebrities were drawn to Wimbledon this year to see if British star Andy Murray could defend his title.
Jim Parsons, the Emmy-winning star of “The Big Bang Theory,” attended Wimbledon to support a substantially less well-known player — Canadian up-and-comer Eugenie Bouchard. And he’s looking like a genius.
Bouchard, a 20-year-old from Montreal with a powerful game and telegenic looks, is rapidly asserting herself as the next big thing in women’s tennis, and the golden girl is now on the cusp of her breakthrough first major title.
My most positive supporter :) #JimParsons pic.twitter.com/02cXp1BadQ
— Eugenie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) June 26, 2014
Bouchard will play 2011 champion Petra Kvitova in Saturday’s final at the All-England Club after defeating Simona Halep of Romania, 7-6 (5), 6-2, in Thursday’s semifinals. Parsons has attended Bouchard’s past three matches with his partner, Todd Spiewak.
The unlikely companions connected after last year’s Wimbledon when Bouchard’s manager contacted Parsons’ manager to express Bouchard’s affection for his TV work. That turned into an invitation to watch Bouchard at this year’s Wimbledon from her player’s box.
“It’s amazing that he’s a fan of me ’cause I’m like the biggest fan of him,” Bouchard told the Fashion Times. “He’s emailed me after every single match I’ve played. He’s more positive than all of my team combined. So it’s a refreshing change to get a nice email with exclamation marks and smiley faces.”
Bouchard, who has gained notoriety for posting selfies on Twitter with tennis stars and other celebrities, last week posted a shot of herself and Parsons on the grounds at Wimbledon.
It seems as though Parsons might soon have to share Bouchard’s affection with the fast-growing number of fans and Twitter followers — already over 225,000 — she has gained from her recent success.
“I’m really excited … it’s my first grand slam final, so I’m just going to go for it,” a beaming Bouchard said Thursday after becoming the first Canadian to reach a major final.
She kept her nerve in beating Halep in a match that was interrupted three times. After four games, Halep needed treatment on a sore ankle. Then in the tiebreak, a spectator was taken ill in the sunshine and had to be led from the stands.
On Bouchard’s first match point, Halep served an ace, but the 13th-seeded Bouchard complained she had been distracted by a noise in the crowd. She argued with the umpire, but the point stood. With Bouchard rattled, Halep saved four more match points before caving.
“I will probably have my toughest match yet, so I’m looking forward to the challenge,” Bouchard said of the final against Kvitova. “My coach will watch her play and give me some tips on how she plays, but I’m just going to go out there and play my game. I think I can play even better than I did today.”
Parsons is expected to be there Saturday. If Bouchard wins, she might soon be the one getting sought out for selfies.
With Post wires