An ebullient Eugenie Bouchard joins Milos Raonic for Wimbledon’s second week

WIMBLEDON – Three times in three previous attempts, Genie Bouchard had lost to Germany's Andrea Petkovic.

But none of those were at a Grand Slam, an environment in which the 20-year-old Canadian is finding herself increasingly at home, and increasingly clutch.

Bouchard weathered – pardon the pun – nearly six hours of rain delays Saturday like a veteran. And she was impressively solid in dispatching the No. 20 seed 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time.

Then again, this is only her second attempt. Two years ago, she was winning the junior event here.

The look on Petkovic's face in the above photo at the handshake says it all. Basically, it says, "Whoa girl, that was way too good."

And it was. It started well even as the players exchanged a lot of service breaks. And it got better as Bouchard visibly gained in confidence through the match.

The press conference was probably the most ebullient we've ever seen Bouchard in those

circumstances. First, she came in wearing a red Japanese kimono (Canadian colours, as it happens), a gift from a Japanese broadcaster she had just done an interview with.

The late-evening matches all ending close to the same time Saturday created a major logjam in the interview rooms and Bouchard, pushed back by Serena Williams's press conference in the main room, went over to fulfill television obligations (usually done afterwards) before meeting the print and Internet media.

And she deviated some from the roster of matter-of-fact, go-to phrases she now recites almost by rote. It's a good strategy generally because a few times this season when Bouchard has gone off-message, she's gotten herself into a little hot water.

But this time around, she was practically glowing – chatty, humorous, really in her element.

She was asked why she and Petkovic were laughing at the end of the match, after the handshake. "

I asked her if she heard this lady coughing during the match. There was this lady that was really coughing a lot. She was like, 'I know, I thought she was dying'. I was like, 'I know, I wanted to say something to the umpire, like maybe she should leave and get help.' I mean, it was kind of distracting. We were also both like, 'What's going on?'

"I think she finally left in the end. Yeah, we both kind of almost felt bad, like is she okay? I think she's fine now. Well, I don't know for sure," Bouchard said.

She also was asked if she'd received any messages from the Royal family during her stay in London – meaning, obviously, her royal namesake Princess Eugenie.

Bouchard did agree that David Beckham, who was in the Royal Box, could definitely be considered royalty.

This is the second consecutive Grand Slam in which both Bouchard and Milos Raonic have reached at least the fourth round. In Paris a few weeks ago, Bouchard made the semifinals, while Raonic was a quarter-finalist.

It's more Canadian tennis history happening, at perhaps the most historic of all tennis venues.

Bouchard and Alizé Cornet will open the Centre Court schedule of play on Monday. So perhaps Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice might think about rearranging their schedules to give the colonial an extra little incentive.

Maybe Prince William is free as well. Bouchard's little brother William is along on the trip and might not mind that one bit.