Eugenie Bouchard has a love affair with Australia and the year’s first major

Eugenie Bouchard is happy. She is very happy. Sometimes it is hard to tell with Canada’s great hope, so focused is she on her career and progress, but it is fair to say that the No.7 seed is chuffed to bits to be in the third round at Australian Open 2015. 

 She loves it here in Australia, and judging by the response of the Genie Army (her loyal fan club) when she stepped on court, Australia is rather fond of her. As well as the sunshine, the courts and the memories, it is the accent that she loves the most about her annual visit Down Under. And a very fine accent it is, too. Every time she lands at Melbourne airport, she feels like she is coming home. “I love this tournament,” she said. “I've always had great memories from it, even in the juniors, when I played the juniors here. It was the first slam I did well at in juniors. Same thing in the pros. I love the surface of the court. I love the people. I love the fans. I love the hot weather. 
I like the accent a lot. I mean, I could keep going, but I'll stop with that.” She was pretty pumped to be playing Kiki Bertens, too. After a gaggle of seeds departed in tears and a taxi on Monday, Bouchard’s section of the draw was blown wide open, with little to worry her until she reaches the quarterfinals and a possible meeting with Maria Sharapova. 
Bertens, then, was a warm-up for what was to come, and in just 54 minutes she was dismissed 6-0 6-3.