Bouchard gets a step closer
Canadian Eugenie Bouchard is back in the third round of the Australian Open tennis tournament for the first time in two years after beating China’s Peng Shuai, 7-6 (5), 6-2, on Wednesday.
Bouchard, who reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2014, finally closed it out after Peng saved three match points on the Canadian’s serve at 5-1 in the second set.
Following her breakout year in 2014, which also saw her reach the Wimbledon final, Bouchard struggled to make it past the fourth round at the slams.
Her best result last year was the third round at Wimbledon.
Her next opponent will be American Coco Vandeweghe, who defeated Pauline Parmentier of France in straight sets.
“Overall, I’m feeling better with each passing day,” said Bouchard. Bouchard, from Westmount Que., won the first set when she froze Peng with a forehand smash after the Canadian charged the net.
Also, Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands won their first-round doubles match.
The duo beat Georgia’s Oksana Kalashnikova and Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0. It only took 56 minutes for the victory.
Earlier, Vancouver’s Vasek Pospisil and Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic dropped their first-round doubles match to the hometown pairing of Matthew Barton and Matthew Ebden, 6-2, 6-4.
No. 3 seed Milos Raonic of Thornhill faces Gilles Muller of Luxembourg in the second round Thursday.