Eugenie Bouchard prepares for Agnieszka Radwanska, a tough second-round task at the Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia – There was no time to bask in the satisfaction of getting through her first-round match at the Australian Open. Genie Bouchard got back to work on Tuesday, preparing for a significantly more accomplished opponent in the second round: No. 4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska.
In the morning, she and her merry band of followers, the Genie Army, opened a sponsor's pop-up bar between the Australian Open site and downtown. Bouchard is an appropriate ambassador for the sponsor, Canadian Club whiskey.
Radwanska is the first player ranked inside the top 20 that Bouchard will face since she lost to then No. 2 Maria Sharapova in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open a year ago.
In fact, in the interim, the 21-year-old Canadian has faced just one player ranked high than No. 20 – that came in Rome, in a match against then No. 10 Carla Suárez Navarro.
As well, this will be Bouchard's seventh match in the the last nine days. To put that in perspective, Bouchard played just eight singles matches the rest of the season (three of them at the US Open) after her first-round loss to Ying-Ying Duan of China in the first round of Wimbledon in late June, 2015.
Here's what she looked like in practice.
Bouchard followed Roger Federer onto Court 16 and while his devoted following packed up their banners and signs, there was still a very good crowd on hand to watch.
Meanwhile, Radwanska practiced before far fewer people on the court right next door.
The match will be the first night session match on the biggest court at the Australian Open, Rod Laver Arena. The Canadian will get some primetime exposure in Australia; unfortunately, that means a 3 a.m. start EST (midnight PST).
There is rain in the forecast - a near-certainty of it in the morning that may delay the start of play. It's something that's always welcome in Melbourne, a fairly parched place. But none of that will have an effect on Bouchard's match; Rod Laver Arena has a retractable roof.