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MONTREAL -- Theyve composed chants just for Canadian tennis player Eugenie Bouchard, roared for her until they went hoarse, and toasted her wins by fudging their way through "O Canada." Meet the "Genie Army" -- a dozen boisterous Aussies who, despite boasting zero connection to Canada, have become Bouchards unofficial cheerleaders at the Australian Open. Members of the weeks-old squad have jumped, danced and serenaded their way into an unmistakable grandstand presence during the Montreal teens impressive run at the event, where she has earned a semifinal spot Thursday. The devotees, mostly men in their 20s, have also fashioned red-and-white T-shirts that spell out Bouchards name, flapped banners for her during matches, and lobbed plush animals -- each of them native to Australia -- to her on the court following each of her victories. Though they have had little face-to-face interaction with Bouchard, they have certainly commanded her attention in Melbourne. "The crowd here has been amazing, especially the Genie Army," Bouchard, 19, said Tuesday during an on-court interview after beating Ana Ivanovic. She then pointed up to her noisy, personal cheering section. "Ive had so much fun. Thank you guys." The inspiration behind a brigade dedicated to Bouchard came after a bunch of Australian buddies watched her upset Ivanovic last year at Wimbledon, said one of the Army members. In December, as the Australian Open approached, Jacob Wright said the crew decided to become her own booster club, so they started making shirts and penning Bouchard chants. The Genie Army was born. "Shes just a great tennis player," Wright, 20, told The Canadian Press in a Skype interview from Melbourne. "Obviously, shes a good-looking girl as well, and were young guys, but she is a really good tennis player. Its really, really good fun to watch." Their movement has had nothing to do with patriotism, either. When asked whether any of them had a connection to Canada, he replied: "None of us." Wright said they caught Bouchards attention during her first-round match, which was held on a more-intimate court that brings fans closer to the players. Six of them showed up for the event and were lucky enough to have their photos taken with Bouchard, get her autograph, and exchange a few words with their favourite player after the victory. The Genie Army nation was thrilled, Wright added, when Bouchard later told an interviewer she hoped they would show up for her next match. They havent missed one since -- and their ranks have doubled to about 12. Wright said it has been a bit of a give-and-take relationship, with Bouchard thanking her believers in interviews and by making gestures, such as posting a couple of photos of them on her Twitter feed. The connection likely hit its only bumpy patch on Tuesday when she was asked in a post-match interview about who she would like to date, if she could choose anyone in the world. An embarrassed Bouchard, who appeared to be taken off guard by the question, blurted out the name of Canadian pop star Justin Bieber. In TV footage, members of the Genie Army were shown waving off her choice. They remain committed, however, to backing Bouchard for the long haul, even if they initially didnt expect it to last. Wright admitted they never predicted Bouchard, the tournaments 30th seed, would advance to the semifinal, but theyve enjoyed the longer-than-expected ride. Bouchard, in fact, became the first Canadian to reach a Grand Slam semifinal in 30 years. "My voice doesnt usually sound like this, Im pretty husky from a week of just full-on yelling as loud as I can," said Wright, who was wearing a white T-shirt with a red Maple Leaf and a Bouchard autograph. "But yeah, weve just been yelling, chanting -- and overall the response from the crowds been really good." He said group members have also been surprised by the notoriety theyve amassed throughout the tournament, growing so big that they have been interviewed by media outlets and have frequently been asked to pose for photos with other fans. "Well be standing there for 20 minutes or something (after matches)," said Wright, whose group has an online presence on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, where .GenieArmy was trending after Tuesdays win. "Its getting really full of fun." But their primary mission has not changed since Day 1: support Bouchard. During her matches, the crew can be heard belting out custom chants from the bleachers, including a fight song usually reserved for when she first steps onto the hardcourt. "We are the Army, the Genie Army, and we are mental, and we are mad," a clapping Wright chanted as he began a demonstration of the mantra. The gang has even sung the Canadian national anthem, though Wright admits only a couple of them know the words. The first time they attempted "O Canada," he said they received some welcome help from Canadian fans in the crowd. "We started it off, but then we had a lot of Canadians around us, so they sort of finished it off for us," Wright said. "It wasnt a very good rendition." Jim Plunkett Jersey .James scored 29 points, including 16 in the first quarter, and the Cleveland Cavaliers broke a four-game losing streak with a 106-74 win over the Orlando Magic on Monday night. Willie Brown Jersey . -- Slugger Jose Abreu, All-Star left-hander Chris Sale and closer Matt Lindstrom are on the disabled list. http://www.shoptheraidersonline.com/Elit...Raiders-Jersey/. However, it wasnt a problem on Monday night. Evgeni Nabokov made 23 saves for his 56th career shutout in the New York Islanders 3-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night. Howie Long Jersey .Brady threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Julian Edelman midway through the fourth quarter, and New England beat the San Diego Chargers 23-14 for its eighth win in nine games. Custom Oakland Raiders Jerseys . The star receiver certainly isnt celebrating it with the Texans mired in a franchise-record 13-game skid.With Canadas Fed Cup team ready to take on the Slovak Republic next week, Blainville, Quebecs Aleksandra Wozniak - who played in February against Serbia in her first Fed Cup tie since 2011 - sets the stage with her personal blog on RDS.ca and TSN.ca. --- Before starting this column, Id like to thank the people whove supported me since my return to the circuit. I read your comments and thank you for continuing to encourage me. In addition to fans, theres also a whole team behind me and a great Canadian delegation, as this will be the case at the Fed Cup on April 19 and April 20 in Quebec City. These people behind the scenes may say little, but will give me a boost for the entire week of competition - and also for the rest of the year. Theres André Parent, our fitness coach whos responsible for conditioning both the pros and the young developing players at Uniprix Stadium. Hes worked with us for a long time and on Wednesday he was appointed chief physical trainer for the Fed Cup. Hes one of the most important people in my career, helping me return to competition after my shoulder injury and avoiding surgery. Also, Marlene Nobrega has been our physiotherapist for more than 20 years - both in the Davis Cup and the Fed Cup - along with massage therapist Samantha Cox. In addition to André Barrette, who deals with the administrative aspect of our program, theres captain Sylvain Bruneau and coach Simon Larose. Not to mention so many other volunteers who are involved. The big difference playing elsewhere compared to Canada, as was the case in Serbia in February of 2011, is that we had the crowd against us. With our team on our side, its as if we brought some of our supporters with us outside our home. Not underestimating our opponents This will be the second time were participating in the World Group play-offs, but weve never managed to take the next step forward so its an opportunity for us to make Canadian history. Dominika Cibulkova and Daniela Hantuchova wont be taking part, but Magdalena Rybarikova is still an excellent player. Jana Cepelovas confidence will be high after making the Family Circle Cup final last weekend. I dont know Michaela Honcova well, but with Anna Schmieedlova (65th in the world), the Slovak Republic will have three players in the Top 80.dddddddddddd So it will be very important for us to showcase our best tennis. While Cibulkova and Hantuchova arent there, we should not underestimate them. Facing little-known players, well need to adjust our training accordingly and continue to properly train and prepare mentally. Well also benefit from a week together before the tournament to build our team spirit. After all, this isnt an individual competition. Well do things as a team and keep encouraging each other. This is a big opportunity for us - especially playing here in Quebec City - and we know well have the support of 3,500 supporters at the new Amphitheatre at PEPS, Laval University. A boost of energy Whenever I had a serious injury in the past, the Fed Cup arrived at the right time and the tournament gave me that boost of confidence. And after the competition, I returned and carried that renewed confidence to other tournaments. I havent used my protected ranking since the Indian Wells tournament, but I think going through qualifications has had its advantages. Since my return to the game, Ive needed to build up matches. It gives me set benchmarks and confidence and it also allows me to refine my work on the court. As a result, Ive beaten 2013 Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki and have also won against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Urszula Radwanska. And it was difficult after missing so much action. Ive now had 23 matches under my belt since January and its allowed me to bring my game to its highest level. My service has also notably improved. Over the last six months, Ive found more power but Im still working on my consistency. There are several factors which still have an effect on my shoulder, such as playing altitude, temperature, or even the type of tennis balls Im using. But Ive found a certain level of stability despite the changing game conditions. When I started to play after injuring my shoulder, I was 288th in the world. Now Im 153rd and have made good progress over the last three months. But I want to be even better. I feel great in my workouts and I just have to concentrate on doing the right things and continuing to climb up. 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