Bouchard’s keys to Australian Open match vs. Radwanska

Over in Brisbane, ex-world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka blasted into the final, ending the surprise run of 20-year-old Samantha Crawford with a 6-0, 6-3 thumping. “I love it every time I come here”.

If Bouchard, who started the season ranked No. 49, can pull off the upset, she would not have to face another seeded player until at least the quarterfinals. Her craft kept Bouchard guessing, and the world No. 37 failed to break through Radwanska’s armory as the Pole sauntered into round three.

Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in action against Christina McHale of the U.S. during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 18 January 2016.

But Radwanska came back, with angled drives doing the damage.

Simon needed only 31 minutes to win the third set and 39 minutes to take the fourth, which ended when Pospisil returned a serve long on match point.

The Canadian had advanced to the second round with a straight-sets win on Monday, 6-3, 6-4 over Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic.

She later sued the United States Tennis Association and was unable to complete a match for the rest of the year.

Stephens won her second career title in Auckland earlier this month but then withdrew from the Hobart International due to a viral illness.

Despite a 7-2 match-record start to 2016, Eugenie Bouchard isn’t about to get overly excited yet.

The Polish pro had to fight for a set point as she squandered four opportunities, but she eventually made it and took a one-set lead in just under 50 minutes.

“Reaching the final here is great preparation for the Australian Open, and that’s a good projection too”, Radwanska said after being told of the ranking news.

Bouchard appeared as if she was going to salvage her season, winning her first three matches at the U.S. Open. “That’s a victory for me no matter what the my results are”.

“It was my toughest test, I did OK”, Bouchard said of the contest lasting just under 90 minutes on the showcase Rod Laver Arena.

Despite the loss it was an encouraging step on the road back for Bouchard, 21, as she works to pick up the pieces after sustaining a head injury when slipping in the locker room at Flushing Meadow.

Under sunny skies and a temperature of 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has begun play in her first-round match against Luksika Kumkhum of Thailand, the first match on the center court at the Australian Open.