Eugenie Bouchard was looking to add to her tally of wins in 2016, leading the WTA in that category after a dismal 12 all of last year. However, Timea Bacsinszky had other plans taking the match in three 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 in their third round match at the BNP Paribas Open.
Bacsinszky Cruises In Opener
The Canadian was in a battle in the opening service game of the match, forced to save a few break points, saving a couple with aces. However, in this long service game, she was broken by the Swiss immediately. Bacsinszky consolidated the break at 30 with a backhand lob over the 22-year-old as the Canadian continued to hit it to the stronger wing of the Swiss.
Bacsinszky earned a second break as the Canadian was beginning to derail, and she went on to consolidate the break for a 4-0 lead. Bouchard finally put herself on the board with a love hold as she remained 1-4 down. The 22-year-old started to attack the much weaker forehand wing of the Swiss. Bouchard had her first look at break point up 30-40 on the Swiss’ serve. Bacsinszky answered with a backhand winner down the line to force deuce. The 26-year-old held for a commanding 5-1 lead..
After Bouchard held for 2-5 with some marvelous hitting, Bacsinszky delivered a winner down the line to take the opening set 6-2. Second serve points won was a major key to the set. Bouchard only won 22 percent of those points compared to 55 percent for the Swiss.
Bouchard Fight Back To Force Decider
On the second point of the second set on the Canadian’s serve, Bacsinszky took a hard fall onto the court trying to retrieve a ball. During the medical timeout, she was getting looked at as there was blood on her left elbow and right knee. During all of this, Bouchard’s coach Thomas Hogstedt came out to talk to her and then even tried to hit some balls with her, but it was not allowed by the WTA supervisor which gave the Canadian and her coach a little chuckle.
Bouchard was able to win the next few points to open the set with a hold and Bacsinszky soon followed suit. In the fourth game, the Canadian put away an overhead to set-up a 0-30 lead as she was looking to begin to mount her comeback. The two-time runner-up in 2016 was able to break for a 3-1 lead as she attacked the weak Bacsinszky second serve. However, the Swiss broke right back for 2-3 and consolidated to level the set at three apiece.
At 3-all, 15-all, Bouchard had the open court to hit a forehand and hit it straight to Bacsinszky’s backhand as the Swiss did not miss in the open court to set up 15-30. Despite that, Bouchard held her ground to go up 4-3. The eighth game was one to forget for the Swiss; two double faults, one on break point down, and an easy missed backhand saw her broken for a 5-3 lead in Bouchard’s favor. With the Canadian serving for the set, she faltered as the set of swings continued with a break from the 26-year-old. Bouchard took the second set thanks to a forehand error from the Swiss in a tight 12th game.
The tide turned in terms of second serve points won with Bouchard winning more of those points (46 percent to 33 percent). The Canadian’s first serve percentage was also much higher at 61 percent, compared to 48 for the Swiss.
Bacsinszky Closes It Out
The Canadian found herself down an early break after getting impatient in a forehand-to-forehand rally with the Swiss and pulled the trigger, only to hit an error. Bacsinszky would consolidate for a 2-0 lead. Bouchard was broken again for 4-1 as the 26-year-old looked primed to take this match. Despite having break point chances in the sixth game, the 2015 French Open runner-up stepped up once again to hold and gave herself a 5-1 lead.
Bouchard would hold once more to cut the deficit to 2-5, but Bacsinszky closed it out with no problem to take it 6-2, 5-7, 6-2. Bacsinszky was clinical on serve, winning 69 percent of first serve points and 77 percent of second serve points, blowing out Bouchard in both categories. She’ll face the winner of Monica Puig and Daria Kasatkina in the fourth round.
