2014 Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard defeated the always dangerous Camila Giorgi in straight sets after a rainy day in Hobart. Bouchard will now face Dominika Cibulkova in the Hobart International semifinals in a rematch of their dramatic U.S. Open third round match from last year.
Bouchard Survives Hard Hitting From Giorgi Early
A match-up like this is a hard-hitter fan's blessing to watch. Both players are capable of hitting a huge winner, while they can hit the most ridiculous error at the same time with that go big or go home approach. This was the story of the first set in a battle of who would be less erratic and more productive. As the match started, the Canadian star was the one to put her name on board first, breaking her counterpart's serve in the opening game with solid returning. Bouchard would go on to hold to 2-0 after a relatively tough game, showing how much her serve has improved. The Italian hard-hitter continued her rusty play as Giorgi handed a second break to Bouchard. In the fourth game, it was Giorgi's time to concentrate and attack her opponent's serve. Her ruthless returns would eventually help her secure the break to win her first game. She would follow it with a service hold to reduce her deficit to 2-3.
Despite Giorgi's revival, Genie Bouchard did not let her make things complicated and continued serving and returning well. She would drain errors from the Italian, who usually finds it hard to cope with deep balls. Bouchard would then try to close the set, leading 5-2, but having to deal once again with Camila's ferocious return. This return is such a powerful weapon when it is on and it was proven once again as the Italian broke to make it 5-3. However, Bouchard's reaction was immediate. She would break again to win the set in a fantastic final game, where she was blasting winners left and right.
Inspired Bouchard Finishes The Task
In the second set, it was Giorgi who made the first move in the set, breaking with some sharp returns and net approaches. That would give her the lead for the first time in the match. However, Bouchard would raise her level to win the next four games and lead 4-1. The Canadian's level was unreal in these games. She was placing her forehands perfectly, either forcing errors out of the Italian with good depth or hitting magnificent winners with great angles. It was much more reminiscent of her 2014 form. She mixed in some really good backhand slices as well to add to her variety, an area that still needs improvement. In the sixth game of the set, Girogi would stop her opponents rollercoaster run with a comfortable hold, but still trailed 4-2. Bouchard would win the final games of the set to seize the win 6-3 6-2 and procede to her first WTA semifinals since Wuhan in 2014, where she made the final.
Statistical Breakdown
The most important stats of this match were both players and how they fared on return. Both are incredible returners, while they have some issues with their serve. This is easily seen by the high percentages of return points won by both players. Bouchard won 73 percent of the points behind her counterpart's second serve. Both players had issues with double faults, with Bouchard hitting four to go along with four aces. Giorgi had six double faults. A key not see in the stats was the depth of both player's shots. In most cases, the player who got better depth from their return or serve was winning most of the rallies.
Bouchard and Cibulkova meet in the first of the two semifinals in Hobart. The other pits Alize Cornet against Johanna Larsson.