Former Canadian number one Eugenie Bouchard earned her spot in the main draw of French Open 2020 after spending a splendid week in Istanbul, Turkey. Therein, former Wimbledon finalist Bouchard reached the finals after winning six consecutive matches (including qualifiers). She lost a tight final match against Romania’s Patricia Maria Tig, but she that gave her eventual practice for Roland Garros and she also received a wildcard.

In the opening round of the French Open, she faced Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya. It was Genie’s first major main draw match of the season. She defeated Kalinskaya 6-4, 6-4, and earned her spot in the second round of the Parisian major.  It was her first Grand Slam victory since the Australian Open 2019.

Set One – Gutsy play from Eugenie Bouchard

The Canadian star and Kalinskaya kept trading the break of serves in the set. Bouchard was a break down at 4*-3, and her Russian opponent was trying to capitalize her serve for a 5-3 lead.

However, from that point onwards Bouchard gained her momentum and grabbed 12 of the last 13 points of the opening set and ascended to close it 6-4.

Set Two – It’s Genie’s party today!

Bouchard made an ideal start of the set by holding her serve to love at 1-0*. With Kalinskaya raising her level of play, she broke the Canadian to take a 2*-1 lead in the second set. The former semifinalist on the Parisian clay Bouchard was not holding back, she was determined to reestablish her lead in the set.

Montreal native placed her backhands astutely on opponent’s court, and with Kalinskaya double-faulting Bouchard was back on serve at 2-2*. After a prolonged game of tennis at 3-3*, Kalinskaya took that extra mile to lead by a break at 4*-3. Hitting massive forehands from the baseline and a tactical play on the net, Bouchard balanced the set at 4-4*.

Producing some body-serves and baffling her opponent on the clay court, Bouchard made a comfortable hold at 5-4* in the second set.  Silly mistakes by Kalinskaya in the last game gave an advantage to Bouchard and she closed out the match 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of Roland Garros 2020.