Eugenie Bouchard puts love aside to focus on shocking Serena

Serena Williams made a storming return to the Grand Slam stage to set up a second-round clash with a resurgent Eugenie Bouchard yesterday evening.

The Canadian dropped as low as 193 in the rankings last season after soaring into the top 10 back in 2014 — but she has worked her way back into double figures and a 6-2 6-1 victory over Peng Shuai earned her a shot at the title favourite.

Williams played her first competitive match since her tumultuous defeat by Naomi Osaka in the US Open final in September and was in devastating form, beating neighbour Tatjana Maria 6-0 6-2 in just 49 minutes.

Bouchard admitted she had her eye on a clash with Williams as soon as the draw was made. She said: “I’m super excited. This is why we play the big tournaments, to play the best players.

“She’s the greatest ever. I admire obviously the longevity of her career, her dominance over such a long amount of time, how she’s come back so many times from injury, pregnancy, etc..

I don’t want to talk about it too much and put her on too much of a pedestal because I have to play her in two days, but I love her.

Still only 24, Bouchard has struggled to cope with the weight of expectation after her rapid rise, but, even during her difficult times, she has shown the ability to rise to the big occasion.

Williams extended her winning streak in Melbourne to eight matches, having won the title on her last appearance in 2017 while in the early weeks of pregnancy.

The 37-year-old, who continues to chase a record-equalling 24th slam singles titles, dropped only five points in the first set.

Williams has kept a low profile since the defeat by Osaka in New York and was in no mood to revisit the occasion when quizzed by journalists.

Asked if she had discussed coaching signals with Patrick Mouratoglou after the warning from umpire Carlos Ramos which sparked the whole furore, and whether she agreed with the Frenchman that on-court coaching should be allowed, Williams said: “I literally have no comment.”

World number one Simona Halep avoided losing to Kaia Kanepi in the first round for the second successive Slam, coming from a set down to win 6-7 (2) 6-4 6-2.

Venus Williams looked to be heading out of the tournament at a set and 5-3 down to 25th seed Mihaela Buzarnescu, but recovered to win 6-7 (3) 7-6 (3) 6-2.

Two-time winner Victoria Azarenka fell 6-7 (5) 6-4 6-2 to Germany’s Laura Siegemund.

Fourth seed Osaka was a 6-4 6-2 winner over Magda Linette and there were also victories for Elina Svitolina, Karolina Pliskova, Madison Keys and Garbine Muguruza. Tenth seed Daria Kasatkina lost 12 straight games in a 6-3 6-0 loss to Timea Bacsinszky.

The second round of the men’s section will feature a rematch of the 2008 final between Novak Djokovic and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Frenchman Tsonga beat Martin Klizan 6-4 6-4 7-6 (5) yesterday.

Djokovic arrived in Melbourne as the man to beat and was comfortable in a 6-3 6-2 6-2 victory over battling American qualifier Mitchell Krueger.

Nick Kyrgios will tumble further down the rankings after losing in the opening round to Milos Raonic following a 6-4 7-6 (5) 6-4 loss.

Fourth seed Alexander Zverev answered doubts about his fitness with a 6-4 6-1 6-4 victory over Aljaz Bedene, joking afterwards: “My body is close to perfection right now.”

Eighth seed Kei Nishikori and last year’s semi-finalist Chung Hyeon both came from two sets down to claim victories, while Borna Coric, Fabio Fognini, Denis Shapovalov, Stan Wawrinka and Daniil Medvedev also went through.