Canadian Genie Bouchard got back to her aggressive, winning ways in Nürnberg, Germany Monday, dispatching Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-0, 6-3 to advance to the second round.
The first set, in which Bouchard lost just four points on serve, took just 25 minutes. The entire match took an hour and seven minutes as Bouchard hugged the baseline, and her Czech opponent – a talented player – was relegated to chasing down balls eight feet behind it.
The second set was a lot more competitive; Zahlavova Strycova actually had break points on Bouchard’s serve with the Canadian serving at both 3-2, and 4-3. But she was unable to convert.
Those are winning conditions for Bouchard, who couldn’t impose her aggressive game in first-round losses to Agnieszka Radwanska in Madrid, and Francesca Schiavone in Rome.
She plays the winner of qualifier Anastasia Rodionova (ranked No. 217) and lucky loser Tereza Martincova of the Czech Republic (No. 281) in the second round.
Looking ahead, she could be headed for a showdown with fellow young gun Caroline Garcia in the semifinals.
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