A lot of positives but in the end, a first-round loss in Madrid as Eugenie Bouchard returns to action

There were some good things in Genie Bouchard’s 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 loss to Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania in the first round of the Mutua Madrid Open Sunday, plenty of positives to build on.

Unfortunately for the 22-year-old from Montreal, she’ll have to wait more than a week to try to build on them.

Bouchard hadn’t played in nearly four weeks, since retiring from her second-round match against Spaniard Lourdes Dominguez Liño at the WTA tournament in Charleston. A recurrence of a stubborn abdominal injury was the culprit and in the intervening weeks, she had barely served in practice.

After the two-hour, 32-minute defeat, she will have to wait more than a week, until the first round of the next big WTA tournament in Rome.

The effects of the injury on Bouchard’s serve, which was the stroke affected the most during that Charleston match, showed. Her nine double-faults appeared to be above all a matter of not wanting to put extra pressure on the abdominal area; most of the missed second serves flew long.

This was Bouchard's first official match on the real clay, the terre battue. As well, in Madrid, there is altitude to deal with, conditions that can make the ball fly even at the best of times.

Somberly dressed with a black, long-sleeved top that was zipped all the way up to her neck, Bouchard had it tucked into her skirt - no doubt with some taping on the affected ab.

But in the end, she still had more than enough chances.

Up 4-1 in the first set after a quick, aggressive start, Bouchard surrendered the set 6-4. The balls that went in during those first five games began to fly on her, and her game plan to attack Begu’s backhand paid few dividends. Begu was far more consistent on that side and far more error-prone on the forehand side, but the Canadian didn’t recognize it.

Begu took a medical timeout in the middle of her own service game, down 0-2 in the second set, to have a big blister on her left foot treated.

Upon resumption of play, Bouchard took the next two points, broke Begu for a 3-0 lead, and went on to take the second set.

In the deciding set, Bouchard had love-40 on Begu’s serve at 2-all; she had begun finding the mark with her groundstrokes again and the point construction – as it was through most of the match – was exemplary overall. She also was finishing points off at the net.

But the Canadian’s feet slowed in that game; she made errors on groundstrokes as she reacted late, and was backing up as she hit them. She had mentioned to coach Cyril Saulnier during an earlier on-court coaching consult that she felt her reaction time was slow. It certainly was slow in that game which, in retrospect, was pivotal.

Begu took a second medical timeout just before Bouchard served at 3-4 in the third set – same spot, other foot.

The Canadian seemed unaffected, holding her serve at love and following Saulnier’s advice to target the more inconsistent forehand.

But in the end, serving to stay in the match, Bouchard’s footwork and preparation at the baseline faltered again – just enough. Two forehands and a backhand, all dumped into the net, and it was over.

On the plus side, Bouchard kept her emotions well in check, and there was never a question about the effort or desire.

A couple of moments stood out.

In the first set, up 2-0, Bouchard and Begu engaged in an endless game. Despite a couple of double faults, despite four break points, she hung in there and won it.

In the third set, at 1-2 and facing break point on her serve, Bouchard ran across the court, and back across, and back cross again. And then she ran some more. The industrious retrieving was rewarded, and she ended up holding serve.

But effort and desire weren’t enough. In the end, it’s a first-round loss and, since she isn’t playing doubles, another weeklong wait to try again.

Unseeded, she may not get the luck of the draw in Rome. In Madrid, she escaped facing a seeded player in the 64-player draw and ended up against a solid opponent, but one she had defeated in their only previous meeting.

The defeat could cost Bouchard  in the rankings; a year ago, during a far worse stretch, she lost in the first round of Madrid to Barbora Strycova of the Czech Republic in three sets – after winning the first set 6-0.

The problem is that there are currently five players still alive in Madrid who are fewer than 100 points below her in the rankings. All have the potential to pass her.

It was a valuable opportunity to make some ground up in the rankings. If Bouchard had any notion of gunning for one of the 32 seeds at the French Open and avoiding potentially drawing a top player in the early rounds, she needed to have two really good weeks.

Now, she would have to post a huge result in Rome, which will be the last opportunity before the seedings are announced for Paris.

What would it take? Most likely, a semi-final. She’ll have to hope the Paris draw gods are on her side.