US Open Smashtalk: what’s going on with Bouchard?

There were some surprises – and not-so-surprising results – on Day 3 at the US Open.

Alexander Zverev unexpectedly crashed out in the second round to Borna Coric while Eugenie Bouchard’s horrific slide continued – perhaps unnecessarily in front of the biggest audience of all at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The Tennismash team of Paul Moore, Vivienne Christie, Matt Trollope, Leigh Rogers and Bede Briscomb share their reactions to these events as well as revealing what they’re most looking forward to on Day 4 in the Big Apple.

Agree or disagree with our panel? Have your say on Facebook and Twitter using #SmashTalk.

Eugenie Bouchard. What the …??

Moore: Genie Bouchard needs to figure out whether she wants to be a model or a tennis player. If it’s the former, well, good luck with that. If it’s the latter, she has to start applying herself and then figure out how to win again. All of these losses are making a mockery of what had been a promising career.

Christie: Honestly? I think Genie needs to get over herself. During matches, she says, she’s entirely focused on tennis. So how would she explain 46 unforced errors and six consecutive games lost in a straight-sets loss to lower-ranked Evgeniya Rodina? A more telling comment from the high-profile Canadian was that “she has bad memories” from the US Open, referencing the fall she suffered two years ago that’s still the subject of legal action. Maybe the rise to world No.5 at age 20 was too high and too fast for one of the most-talked about players in tennis. At world No.76, it’s time for Bouchard to add substance.

SAY WHAT?! best of Day 3 quotes at the US Open

Trollope: I’m hardly in a position to give her advice, but if I was, I’d be telling Bouchard to stop with the sponsor work and social spamming and keep a lower profile while she tries to figure her game and her career out. On another note – this was one of the more infuriating scheduling decisions in Grand Slam memory. What on earth was the tournament doing by putting Bouchard – the world No.76 who can barely win a match – on Ashe against an even less-credentialled opponent? It’s a slap in the face to other more deserving players and Bouchard’s performance hardly gave the paying public what they came for.

Rogers: The reality is Bouchard is nowhere near her 2014 level and has not been for a long time. Her record against top-100 opponents this season is now 10-15, with only five wins since the Australian Open. Hearing about a lack of confidence and preparation after every loss is becoming excruciating. Genie, it is time to stop the excuses.

Briscomb: The simplest explanation is often the best – she’s not very good at tennis.

It was another early exit for Alexander Zverev at a Grand Slam. Will the German figure out how to bring his best to the Grand Slam stage?

Moore: Does Sascha have the heart for the battle? Time and again we see him go down over five to players he eases past in three, and maybe it just comes down to grit. Is he prepared to dig deep and hurt himself when the going gets really tough? We’ve seen no evidence (so far) that he is.

Christie: It’s tempting to tell Sascha to pull up his socks when they’ve already been such a talking point of this US Open. But let’s not get too carried away just yet about Zverev’s inability to carry Masters-winning form into Grand Slams. Coric won this battle of the 20-year-olds, but there is plenty of time for Zverev to develop the physicality and mindset required for those high-pressure marathon battles.

DAY 3 WRAP: Zverev, Tsonga stunned

Trollope: Of course he will. He’s only 20 and he has too much talent not to thrive at the Slams. Yet his flops at the majors this year have been concerning. He may be young but since Rome he’s been a top-10 player, meaning anything less than the quarterfinals would be considered a disappointment. The fact he fell so early at Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows after winning Masters titles in the lead-up to both is particularly deflating.

Rogers: Let’s just remember that Zverev is only 20. Sure he hasn’t delivered yet – but Andy Murray did not make his first Grand Slam quarterfinal until he was 21 either. Zverev will win a Grand Slam, just give him more time.

Briscomb: Yes. Today was just growing pains. Sasha has got all the tools, he just needs a little bit more time to adjust to the five-set format. Once he does, he will be the No.1 player in the world for the best part of a decade.

Biggest surprise of Day 3?

Moore: That Maria was able to back up her win over Halep. Yes, Sharapova should be beating Babos every day of the week. But Monday night was massive for Maria, and there’s no doubt she would have been physically and psychologically knackered after it. That she could fight her way back into the match against a troublesome opponent shows that she still has grit and determination in abundance.

Christie: Apart from the obvious upsets – Nick Kyrgios losing to John Millman and Kristina Mladenovic beaten by Monica Niculescu – I’m pleasantly surprised by straightforward wins for fan favourites. The returning Petra Kvitova surrendered just three games in a 59-minute win over Alize Cornet, while Juan Martin del Potro won in three tight sets against Henri Laaksonen. I’d love to see both build momentum.

NEWS: Sharapova battles past Babos

Trollope: Many may say Coric over Zverev, but I’m going to go with the ease with which Petra Kvitova dismantled the dangerous Alize Cornet. Outside of her Birmingham title in June, Kvitova has not managed to win back-to-back matches during her comeback. The fact that she’s done so in New York – her least favourite of the four majors – is even more surprising. Her 6-1 6-2 win over Cornet sets up a possible third-round meeting with 18th seed Caroline Garcia.

Rogers: CiCi Bellis losing in the first round. The 18-year-old American has been in sensational form lately, so her implosion from leading 5-3 in the final set against No.80-ranked Nao Hibino (who had a 0-7 win-loss record in Grand Slam main draw matches) was unexpected.

Briscomb: Maria. After round one, we weren’t sure if the first-round result was more about Sharapova or Halep. And after losing the first set to Timea Babos I had my concerns, but the Russian fought back with the trademark grit that so many players lack nowadays. With each win, Sharapova’s belief grows stronger, and so does my belief in her that she can win the whole shebang.

What are you watching out for on Day 4?

Moore: Roger Federer’s movement. Mikhail Youzhny shouldn’t cause the great one too many problems, but then neither should have Frances Tiafoe. Was Federer just having a wonky night on Tuesday, or is there something more going on? We will know a lot more at the end of day four.

Christie: It’s been a lean couple of months since Dominic Thiem was a French Open semifinalist and made his first final-16 run at Wimbledon. So Taylor Fritz, fresh off his first-ever Grand Slam victory (in straight sets, over former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis) will spot a big opportunity in his second-round match against the Austrian. The 19-year-old American thrives before a home crowd, as he showed with an upset of Marin Cilic at Indian Wells earlier this season.

Trollope: I’m interested to see how Andrey Rublev fares against No.7 seed Grigor Dimitrov. Dimitrov was a winner in Cincinnati – his first ever Masters title – but I’ve learned never to set my expectations too high when Grigor appears on the verge of something even bigger. Rublev, 19 years old and a recent winner in Umag for his first ATP title, is one of the many young guns enjoying great results on tour of late. It could continue on Thursday.

Rogers: Taylor Fritz v Dominic Thiem. The 19-year-old American recorded his first Grand Slam main-draw win to reach the second round (in his seventh attempt) and now faces a big challenge in sixth-seeded Thiem. Fritz has been under delivering on the promise shown in his breakthrough 2016 season, but his best results have been on American hard courts. Thiem should be wary.

Briscomb: There’s a tenacious Aussie by the name of Daria Gavrilova who is going under everyone’s radar at the moment. She is coming off a maiden WTA title in New Haven and looked really, really good today. ‘Dasha’ plays Shelby Rogers in round two and if the scoreline is anything like round one (6-2 6-1) we may have a legitimate title contender on our hands.