Eugenie Bouchard, 19, has entered the U.S. Open as something new: a favourite.
Bouchard, who has risen in the WTA rankings from 114 to 57 since April, will battle a lower-ranked opponent in the first round of the U.S. Open, taking on the 72-ranked Karolína Plíšková, 20, from the Czech Republic.
The 6’1” Czech has also been a fast-riser in the WTA rankings and has a twin sister who also plays tennis..
If Bouchard - who is from Westmount, a suburb adjacent to downtown Montreal - wins her first round match, she’d be likeliest to face the German Angelique Kerber, 29.
Kerber is ninth in the world but has been slumping lately with a second round loss at Wimbledon, after reaching the fourth round at the U.S Open last year.
Bouchard should be pleased with the draw, as her further advance has been stalled in tough draws against in Toronto against world’s ninth Petra Kvitova and then world number one Serena Williams more recently in Cincinnati.
Bouchard has been training intensely, tweeting recently that she has been training so hard that her tennis shoes were soaked with sweat.
Meanwhile, Quebecer Aleksandra Wozniak will take on 89th ranked Serbian Vesna Dolonc in her second tournament back since recovering from injury. Wozniak was recently eliminated in the first round of the New Haven Open by Russian Ekaterina Makarova.
On the men’s side Canadians Milos Raonic (No. 10) and Vasek Pospisil will face lower-ranked qualifiers whose identities have yet to be determined.
The first round matches will be played on Monday and Tuesday of next week.
Andy Murray defeated Novak Djokovic in the final last year.
