Last year’s Wimbledon finalist, Eugenie Bouchard of Canada, was looking to start off her Wimbledon campaign with a victory after what has clearly been a down year for the world number twelve. She faced off against Ying-Ying Duan of China whose career high ranking has not even reached into the top 100. On paper, this should be a straightforward match for the Canadian, but tennis isn’t played on paper, this time it’s played on grass.
Duan opened up the match serving, but a couple of errors and some aggressive hitting by Bouchard- as always shown by the Canadian- gave her two break point chances but only needed the first to convert. Despite Duan getting it to 30-all, Bouchard capped off her opening service game with an ace to consolidate. After the Chinese held rather comfortably, she was gifted three break chances on three unforced errors (one double fault). She’d convert on the second on a wild Bouchard backhand error to level the opening set at two apiece. This play is indicative of how the world number twelve has played all year. She had the ability to get up ahead, but the mentality and ability to hold or stay ahead were just not there anymore like last year. A third straight game on the bounce for Duan as she found herself up for the first time in the opening set. Could Bouchard figure it out or were we in for another meltdown from the Canadian?
In the blink of an eye, the Chinese had control with a blistering forehand return winner to open up the sixth game. The world number 12 saved one break point, but horrendously hit a floater wide on her backhand as Duan was well in control now. Bouchard raced to a 0-30 lead and would break at 15 to bring the match back on serve after a forehand winner at the net. Alterations were made by the Canadian in this game taking a bit off her first serve to get it in and finished off a game with a Radwanska-esque shot by getting down low and hitting a forehand winner which creeped over the net. Duan held at love for a 5-4 lead to force Bouchard to serve to stay in this opening set.
The pressure was truly well on the Canadian now with a double fault and a wayward forehand to put her just two points away from the dropping the set. At 30-all, Bouchard hit a blistering backhand down the line which looked to have won her the point but Duan’s defense allowed her to get a racket on it forcing the Canadian to hit an extra shot which she dumped into the net. Bouchard saved her first break point on a gutsy backhand which just clipped the baseline and would save a second as Duan’s forehand return just missed wide. Nervy moments for Bouchard in this game, but the missed opportunities by the Chinese forced a nervy moment on her dumping a put away forehand into the net as the world number 12 held for five-all.
A second double fault in the 12th game gave Duan a third set point, but once again erased it on a fantastic serve. The world number twelve used her fantastic but oft-wild backhand to force a tiebreaker, but Duan would fly out to a 3-0 lead earning two mini breaks but gifted them right back. Three consecutive points again for Duan, and it was another three set points for the Chinese as it would be the fourth time the charm for her taking the opening set 7-6(3).