Bouchard wins grudge match, sets up Kerber clash in Madrid
Eugenie Bouchard beat for the first time in her career soon after calling the former world No 1 a “cheater” to set up a meeting with Angelique Kerber, while Anastasija Sevastova shocked Karolina Pliskova at the Madrid Open.
Eugenie Bouchard recently stated that she believes Maria Sharapova’s tennis career should have been over when she failed a drugs test at the Australian Open last year.
All eyes were on the Spanish capital when the two met less than a fortnight after that candid interview with the 2014 Wimbledon runner-up, who raised her game to defeat the former world number one 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 in a second-round thriller.
Top seed Kerber earlier made hard work of seeing off Katerina Siniakova 6-2 1-6 7-5 to ensure she will return to the top of the rankings in the absence of the pregnant Serena Williams, but second seed Pliskova went down 6-3 6-3 to the 22-ranked Latvian Sevastova.
FIRED-UP BOUCHARD
Bouchard let her feelings be known in no uncertain terms when asked about Sharapova’s return to the circuit last month.
And the Canadian made another huge on-court statement on Monday, showing great spirit and plenty of class to topple the five-time grand slam champion.
Sharapova had won their previous four meetings, but Bouchard looked to be back to something like her best as she showed flashed of brilliance to win a gripping showdown.
The match swung one way and another before Bouchard fittingly clinched it with a sublime forehand winner. The pair shook hands at the net, but the tension was still unsurprisingly evident.
KERBER WINS
Kerber was in danger of being on the end of a shock exit at the hands of 20-year-old Siniakova, but won four games in a row to advance. Bouchard will be Kerber’s next opponent after the two-time major champion fought back from 5-3 down in the deciding set to make the last 16.
PLISKOVA BEATEN
Sevastova beat Johanna Konta in Stuttgart last week and had too much for world number three Pliskova in Madrid.