Canadian star Eugenie Bouchard is back fit and firing, and she's reaping the rewards of an uninterrupted U.S. Open preparation.
Before this week, 2015 has largely been a year to forget for Bouchard, with just 11 wins and 17 defeats to her name. After reaching the semifinals of the Australian and French opens and the Wimbledon final in 2014, the 21-year-old failed to make it beyond the first round in Paris and London this year, though she advanced to the quarters in Melbourne in January.
MORE: Photos from the U.S. Open | Serena battles self in win
Injury has played a part, namely an abdominal tear after Wimbledon. But Bouchard — who split with her coach for the second time in eight months in August — is enjoying a return to form following Wednesday's 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 6-3 win over Polona Hercog.
"Coming into this U.S. Open I've been healthy, so that's I think the biggest point," she told reporters after stringing together her first back-to-back wins since March. "I think all the other slams this year I had a few things here and there. Didn't get the preparation I needed to."
Asked whether raised expectations have weighed her down, Bouchard added: "Definitely that's been a huge thing this year, dealing with the expectations, pressure, more attention.
"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. I'm just trying to take a better kind of approach to it. So I feel like I've been doing better with that now."
Bouchard will face Dominika Cibulkova in the third round Friday.