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Maria Sharapova not big on the comparison game as she and Eugenie Bouchard make their Australian Open quarter-final date

An aggravated Bouchard does the racquet toss during her matach against Irina-Camelia Begu Sunday. She managed to prevail. (REUTERS/Thomas Peter)
An aggravated Bouchard does the racquet toss during her matach against Irina-Camelia Begu Sunday. She managed to prevail. (REUTERS/Thomas Peter)

MELBOURNE, Australia – Maria Sharapova and Genie Bouchard might not have been looking ahead to their quarter-final match at the Australian Open. And rightly so.

But a lot of other people had it bookmarked as the naturally blonde matchup to see in the final eight on the women's side. And despite a few issues, both managed to make the date.

Bouchard's 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 victory over unseeded Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania in the fourth round Sunday was not a picture postcard. Far from it. She let a two-break lead slip away in the second set as Begu reeled off five straight games.

Bouchard and Begu shake on it after the Canadian's three-set win. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)
Bouchard and Begu shake on it after the Canadian's three-set win. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)

The Canadian lost the set when a slow-motion second serve on break point at 5-6 hit the top of the net, then bounced out of range. It sort of summed up her serving day overall.

More than four years younger than her opponent, Bouchard has significantly more big-match experience – most of it gained a year ago on the biggest stages, in the Grand Slams. In the end, that experience probably helped her get over the finish line. She kept firing even after all the errant missiles in the second set. And she held onto serve in the third set, hardly in relaxed fashion. Begu wasn't able to do the same.

"It's disappointing for me because I want to play so well and I want to be perfect. That's not possible. It happens," said Bouchard, who planned to hit the practice court on Monday and try to get some rhythm back, even if she knows that one good practice isn't going to change much.

Her next opponent is a couple of steps up the ladder. So she can't afford to lapse as she did against Begu.

"I think it's always great to play the best players in the world. We've had a couple matches, and a good match last year (in the French Open semi-finals). You know, I think I was close. It was just a tough battle. But I think I've progressed a lot since then," Bouchard said of the rematch against Sharapova.

Bouchard and Maria Sharapova cut a well-coordinated figure in Maria Sharapova's Nike line, before their French Open semi-final. Photo by Corinne Dubreuil/ABACAPRESS.COM
Bouchard and Maria Sharapova cut a well-coordinated figure in Maria Sharapova's Nike line, before their French Open semi-final. Photo by Corinne Dubreuil/ABACAPRESS.COM

Sharapova defeated No. 21 seed Shuai Peng 6-4, 6-0 in her match to set up the date with Bouchard – who not only is a Nike stablemate, but now is with the same management company as well.

"She's been playing really well in this tournament and also in the Slams the last year. Really confident tennis and inspired form. I expect her to come out and play a really good match. I think we only played each other one time last year, which was at the French. That was a really tough match for me. I had to come back from being down one set to love," Sharapova said. "She's a pretty aggressive player. She stays really close to the line, she likes to dictate the points. Yeah, I feel that's where she's hurt a lot of players and been really successful."

That sounds like a pretty good description of Sharapova herself. But in addition to saying she didn't know Bouchard very well on a personal basis, despite the things they have in common (they even did a Nike photo shoot together here two years ago), she wouldn't say whether she saw anything of herself in Bouchard (and there would be a lot to see), or get drawn into the comparison game.

"When I was coming up, I was compared to (Anna) Kournikova for many years in my career and still occasionally name always comes up in interviews and articles. That's just part of it, part of the game, part of the business. It's understandable. It is what it is," Sharapova said. "As I have said, I believe I was still a teenager, I don't want to be the next anyone. I want to be the first Maria Sharapova. And that's how I've been throughout my whole career."

It's as good a time as any to bring out these photos again, though. Right?

Genie Bouchard and Maria Sharapova, back when the younger Canadian looked up to the older Russian. Neither is big on the comparison thing these days.
Genie Bouchard and Maria Sharapova, back when the younger Canadian looked up to the older Russian. Neither is big on the comparison thing these days.
During a break in a Nike photo shoot in 2013, the two posed for a chummy pic.
During a break in a Nike photo shoot in 2013, the two posed for a chummy pic.

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