Roland Garros: Eugenie Bouchard vs Anna Kalinskaya preview, head-to-head & prediction | French Open 2020
Match details:
Fixture: Eugenie Bouchard vs Anna Kalinskaya
Date: 27 September 2020
Tournament: Roland Garros 2020
Round: First Round (Round of 128)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: Approx, €38,000,000
Match timing: 7 pm CEST, 10:30 pm IST
Live telecast: - NBC Sports / Tennis Channel | India - Star Sports / Disney+ Hotstar VIP
Also check out: The Complete French Open 2020 Schedule
Eugenie Bouchard vs Anna Kalinskaya preview
Canadian wildcard Eugenie Bouchard will attempt to make the most of her free pass into the main draw of the French Open when she opens her campaign against Russia's Anna Kalinskaya on Sunday.
Currently ranked 168 in the world, Bouchard is bidding to return to the upper echelons of women's tennis. The 26-year-old former World No. 5 showed plenty of promise at the start of her career, reaching the finals of Wimbledon in 2014, but her game has fallen off a cliff ever since.
After coming under fire for her performances last year, Bouchard has found some form this year, reaching her first final in over four years in Istanbul.
Her first-round opponent Anna Kalinskaya has long been billed as one of WTA's top prospects, but hasn't lived up to that tag. The World No. 108 enters the French Open on the back of a defeat in the qualifying stages of the Italian Open.
Eugenie Bouchard vs Anna Kalinskaya head-to-head
The first-round match in Paris will be the first-ever career meeting between Eugenie Bouchard and Anna Kalinskaya, so the head-to-head currently stands at 0-0.
Eugenie Bouchard vs Anna Kalinskaya prediction
Eugenie Bouchard's erratic game has been the source of frustration over the last couple of years, but the Canadian has found some consistency in recent weeks. Bouchard likes to use her powerful forehand to dictate rallies from the baseline and finish points quickly.
Anna Kalinskaya, like Bouchard, relies heavily on her forehand to do the bulk of the damage in rallies. The key for the young Russian in Sunday's contest will be to take time away from Bouchard and prevent the Canadian from dominating from the back of the court.
This could prove a tricky match for Bouchard and she will be hoping to tap into the form that powered her to the semi-finals of the French Open in 2014.
Prediction: Anna Kalinskaya to win in three sets.
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