Bouchard says she’s excited to face Williams

Eugenie Bouchard will make her return to the biggest stage with a secondround date against Serena Williams at the Australian Open.

The Canadian, who soared into the top 10 in 2014, dropped as low as 193 in the rankings last season but has worked her way back into double figures, and a 6-2 6-1 victory over Peng Shuai earned her a shot at the title favourite.

Williams played her first competitive match since her tumultuous defeat by Naomi Osaka in the US Open final in September and was in devastating form, beating neighbour and fellow mother Tatjana Maria 6-0 6-2 in just 49 minutes.

Bouchard, pictured, admitted she had her eye on a clash with Williams as soon as the draw was made.

She said: “I’m excited. She’s the greatest ever. So it’s just so cool that I’ll be able to share the court with her and an opportunity to see how I compare to one of the best players. Her ranking is top-20 right now, but to me she’s always basically number one.

“I admire her dominance over such a long amount of time, how she’s come back so many times from injury, pregnancy. I don’t want to talk about it too much and put her on too much of a pedestal because I have to play her in two days, but I love her.”

Bouchard struggled to cope with the weight of expectation after her rapid rise but, even during her difficult times, she has shown the ability to rise to the big occasion.

Still only 24, Bouchard said: “I’m enjoying the training and enjoying the matches. That’s the most important thing.

“I knew deep down that I still believed in myself and my game and I’m still relatively young.

“There were some very tough moments last year, for sure. But I’m proud that I stuck through them and turned my season around.”