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As a junior Wimbledon champion in 2012 and a debut Wimbledon main draw finalist in 2014, Eugenie Bouchard understands that proven performances are followed by heightened expectations.
At times the Canadian has struggled with the weight of them, but as she held her nerve in a 6-3, 1-6, 6-1 win over Johanna Konta, Bouchard showed how she can use that pressure to her advantage too.
After dropping the first two points of the match, on her own serve, and surrendering the first break of serve two games later, a pattern soon emerged in Bouchard’s first-ever meeting with Konta: when trailing the No.1 female Brit, the Canadian simply found a way to play better.
Bouchard’s response to that first service break – secured with a stunning backhand winner placed perfectly in the corner of the court – was swift. She immediately gained her own break, and didn’t surrender another point on serve in the 34-minute first set.
The come-from-behind nature of Bouchard’s victory would become far more dramatic than that. With nerves no longer appearing a factor, the hard-hitting Konta completely dominated the second set. Gaining the first break of serve for a 2-0 lead, she also saved two break points to consolidate. With another break of serve in the fourth game, Konta soon ran away with the set.
Yet again, the Canadian was forced to dig deep, her determination as impressive as the punishing ground strokes each woman was delivering.
“I feel like in the second set I didn't play necessarily bad, but I think she raised her level,” Bouchard said. “I think she cut back on a few errors and was even more aggressive. So I tried to be the one to do that in the third set.”
The 22-year-old did exactly that as she claimed the next five games to close in on an important victory. More importantly, Bouchard held on to consolidate, saving two break points in the third game to further dent hopes of a Konta comeback. The Brit managed a game but it was far from enough, Bouchard returning to Wimbledon’s third round when a Konta return went long.
It had been a fierce physical battle between the two women, their strokes delivered with laser-like efficiency and unforgiving power. Ultimately, though, Bouchard’s response under pressure was most telling, with her most impressive play coming at the impost important times.
“I think it was a good match. I think we played high quality tennis. Johanna has a great game, and I think she can become a really good player,” said Bouchard, whose 18 winners were actually 10 less than Konta hit.
“I feel like in a way she forced me to raise my level. So it was very high quality, I thought. I'm proud of the way I finished.”
Indeed, the momentum is pleasing as Bouchard eyes her third round meeting with Dominika Cibulkova, an opponent she has beaten on the only two occasions they’ve met. “She's a fighter,” said Bouchard. “Every match I have had against her is a really tough battle, physical and mental.”
Everyone has ups and downs, (in) tennis and in life. I have experienced both of those to the extreme probably in tennis
The broader pressure, of course, is a comeback in Bouchard’s career, which stalled somewhat in the year following her Wimbledon breakthrough. She was stunned by qualifier Yuan Ding Ding in the first round of 2015 Wimbledon and lost second round in the 2016 Australian and French Opens.
Such difficult stretches could ultimately prove powerful for the 22-year-old, who explained they’ve been accompanied by some important lessons.
“Everyone has ups and downs, (in) tennis and in life,” she said. “I have experienced both of those to the extreme probably in tennis. I have learned a lot from it. You know, I have been able to experience feeling those expectations and pressure and all that kind of stuff, which weighed down on me a little bit.
“I have learned from that, and now I really find the joy in tennis and kind of only want to look forward and just try to become the best player I can be.”
That’s also true for Konta, who acknowledged the positives after her gutsy performance
“I really enjoyed it. I think I've got a lot of good things to take away from that match and a lot of things I hope to implement in my development as a tennis player and as a person,” she said.
Earlier, fellow Brit Heather Watson suffered a difficult loss, surrendering three match points against Annika Beck before the German secured a 6-3, 0-6, 12-10 win.
While each of the local women responded differently, both will invariably develop through their respective experiences. Bouchard could well provide a positive example in that process, the Canadian thrilled with rewards for her persistence.
“I think it's my best performance of 2016,” she said. “I have been working very hard, and I know that matches like this with a good performance will come, that it's just a question of time.”
