EUGENIE BOUCHARD IN QUARTER-FINALS. ROLAND GARROS 2014

Her 6-1, 6-2 beat-down of eighth seed Angelique Kerber on Sunday was jaw-droppingly good. In just 52 minutes she slammed 30 winners to 12 and limited her unforced errors to a tidy 11, wowing a Philippe Chatrier Court crowd who had barely taken their seats

Much has been made of the “ageing” of the women’s Tour in recent times.
 Teen phenoms are an ever rarer breed. Players are blooming later than before, and enjoying longer careers. Suddenly, turning 30 doesn’t signal that a player is over the hill; rather, it could be when she wins her first Slam. Yet at Roland Garros in 2014, this theory has been resoundingly tipped on its head. Youngsters have ruled the clay in Paris this year - the top three seeds were eliminated by players born in 1993 - yet leading the way is Eugenie Bouchard, born even later in 1994, the youngest player in action in the fourth round, and the first through to the quarter-finals. 

. "I'm confident and I really believe in my skills. I believe I can play with the best girls out there. She's top 10, so I respect her. She can play some really good tennis. I was really mentally prepared for anything, for a battle. I think that mindset kind of helped me realise whatever happens I can deal with it on the court," Bouchard reflected. "I was just really going for my shots. That was my intention. It worked." There is a reason the Canadian is already ranked 16th in the world despite her short professional career; she has no weakness. With great power, control and movement, complimented by excellent anticipation, a fabulous temperament and mental strength, she is an exceptionally mature player for someone just 20 years of age. Indeed, for a casual fan tuning in to see the two blonde, plaited women in pink dresses doing battle, they would have naturally assumed the one leading 5-0 in just 17 minutes was the one with the greater big match experience, one who had been here before at Roland Garros. Not so. Bouchard had never been beyond the second round in Paris – Kerber was a quarter-finalist in 2012 – yet seemed unfazed by the gigantic Chatrier show court, never allowing the German to settle into the rallying-and-retrieving patterns on which she thrives. 
Time and time again, Kerber was beaten with penetrating off-forehands, and controlled most of the rallies from the centre of the court. Kerber certainly was not helping her own cause. Despite her experience, she never seemed to attempt a tactical change, or take the time to slow down the play and gather herself. She rushed through her service games at warp speed, almost as if she wanted to get off the court. A dreadful fifth game in the second set saw her throw in two double faults, get called for a foot fault, and spray a pair of errors; it gave Bouchard an unassailable lead.