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By Chris Oddo | Thursday September 3, 2015

 
Bouchard US Open

Eugenie Bouchard has won back-to-back matches for the first time since March in New York.

Photo Source: Streeter Lecka

Having won back-to-back matches for the first time since Indian Wells, is Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard finally putting her doldrums behind her? We’ll know a lot more on Friday after Bouchard faces the ever feisty Dominika Cibulkova in the third round, but for now the former World No. 5 is feeling better about her game in New York.

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Bouchard, who has aligned herself with eight-time major champion Jimmy Connors, seems to be playing with a little more swagger after two rounds.


Make no mistake, the Canadian is by no means out of the woods, but she’s in a position to make a run and salvage some much-needed self-belief as the 2015 Grand Slam season draws to its conclusion.

“Just confident that I believed in myself in the third,” Bouchard said after her 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-3 victory over Polona Hercog on Grandstand on Wednesday. “Even when things got tough, I kept the confidence up and the belief. Tried to keep myself going energy-wise. Those are all things that I think helped today. Those are all things that I didn't do so well in past matches where I've lost. As long as I'm taking a step in the right direction I'm happy with that and I can't ask for more.”

Belief has been a big issue for Bouchard, who has struggled with a whole new set of expectations that came with her breakout 2014. After reaching the Wimbledon final she has struggled to play the instinctive, unbridled tennis that led to her success. Instead she’s appeared apprehensive and overly self-critical on court.

At 21, Bouchard has plenty of time to right the ship. If she can avoid being preoccupied with perfection on the court and just enjoy the process of fighting through matches, she’d surely benefit.

With Connors, a legendary competitor who relished a good fight and was one of the best in the game at turning positive emotions into positive results, in her corner, Bouchard has a blueprint for a plan of action going forward. Whether or not her partnership turns out to be long-term with Connors, it provides a starting point for Bouchard to assess her mental game and learn from one of most fiery competitors that tennis has ever seen.

“Working this week with Jimmy, as well, has really given me a different side of things, like a different point of view,” Bouchard said. “He's very energetic. He's kind of lifted my spirits a little bit. He believes in me. He helped me kind of believe in myself more and regain that confidence. So, yeah, I think that's helped me as well.”

Bouchard says she’s also benefitting from having taken the time to process all the expectations that have been placed on her since she reached the Wimbledon final and climbed into the Top-5. The Canadian is not the only one to rise quickly on the WTA Tour and then fall quickly back. Like in life, tennis careers are not about what happens, they are about about how a player reacts to what happens. It’s been a slow process for Bouchard, and her year has been confounding in many ways. But with some perspective, the support of a new mentor, and a willingness to find the missing mojo, Bouchard is eager to soldier on into a big third-round battle.

“That's been a huge thing this year, dealing with the expectations, pressure, more attention,” Bouchard said. “Yes, your life changes a little bit. There is an adaptation period. I feel like I'm past that now. I try not to worry too much about what everyone says and just focus on me. You know, I'm just trying to take a better kind of approach to it. Yeah, so I feel like I've been doing better with that now.”

 

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