Australian Daria Gavrilova will look to start the new season off on a positive note at the Hopman Cup when she takes on Eugenie Bouchard, who is looking to rebuild her career in 2018. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 1pm (AEDT).
Gavrilova was primed for a big 2017, but would have been disappointed with the way things panned out. After a solid Australian summer, she was eliminated in the first round at the French Open and Wimbledon, before losing in the second round at the US Open.
A lack of power in her groundstrokes at times caught up with her and it’s something she will have attempted to fix over the off-season.
While her style seems to be unable to take her to the next level at grand slams when the pressure is really on, she is still ranked 25th in the world and will have a seeding when the Australian Open rolls around in a fortnight.
After the Hopman Cup, she is scheduled to compete at the Sydney International, which gives her plenty of preparation time before her adopted home grand slam.
At 23 years of age, time is still on her side, but this is an important year for Gavrilova where we start to find out if she will be able to take the next step when the pressure is on.
At the same age, Bouchard is a player who we know can take the next step, yet has had an incredibly disappointing last three years.
In 2014, the then 20-year-old was ascending to the top of the tennis world after semi-final appearances at the Australian and French Open, before a runners-up plate at Wimbledon.
She was taking the tennis world by storm, but hasn’t been able to match the heights since, dropping to world No.83 by the end of 2017.
Bouchard has been inconsistent at the best of times and will need to find a way to rediscover her best form in 2018. She showed patches of it in 2017, when her groundstrokes were flowing and errors minimised, but there wasn’t nearly enough to feel confident about what the Canadian will show on the road ahead.
The pair have met on three previous occasions although not since 2013. On that occasion, Gavrilova recorded her first win in the head-to-head meetings, advancing through qualifying at the Australian Open.
Prediction
Bouchard might be a little jet-lagged, and after two disappointing seasons, even with a big pre-season it might take her some time to find her feet.
Expect the Canadian to give it a shake, but ultimately come up short.
Gavrilova in three sets.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of the Hopman Cup from 1pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment below.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thanks for joining me for our live coverage of this one. We now move onto the men's singles with Thanasi Kokkinakis playing Vasek Pospisil. You can join me for live coverage of that one here. Hopefully you enjoyed this one. Bye for now.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thoughts on the match Roarers?
Scott Pryde
Expert
GAME, SET, MATCH DARIA GAVRILOVA Gavrilova gets a little bit of luck off the net to end the match, the ball popping over. Bouchard gets there, but sends the running backhand long. Great start to the summer for Gavrilova. She has absolutely destroyed Eugenie Bouchard in the opening match of their Hopman Cup campaign. Australia go up 1-0. Daria Gavrilova 6 6 Eugenie Bouchard 1 4
Scott Pryde
Expert
Bouchard saves it, but then Gavrilova serves wide and cracks a forehand into the open court to bring up another match point. Gavrilova 6 5 - AD Bouchard 1 4 -
Scott Pryde
Expert
Wide serve, returned out and we have match point. Gavrilova 6 5 - AD Bouchard 1 4 -
Scott Pryde
Expert
Gavrilova 6 5 - deuce (1) Bouchard 1 4 -
Scott Pryde
Expert
Great return of serve and Gavrilova's lobbed defensive shot goes long. Bouchard has a break point to get this level. Gavrilova 6 5 - 30 Bouchard 1 4 - 40
Scott Pryde
Expert
Better serve from Gavrilova, but some good defence from Bouchard before she puts a backhand down the centre of the court long. Gavrilova 6 5 - 30 Bouchard 1 4 - 30
Scott Pryde
Expert
Poor shot from Gavrilova. Tries to go down the line on the forehand and put it into the bottom of the net. Gavrilova 6 5 - 15 Bouchard 1 4 - 30
Scott Pryde
Expert
Great serve. Straight down the T and Bouchard has no chance of returning that. Gavrilova 6 5 - 15 Bouchard 1 4 - 15
Scott Pryde
Expert
Gavrilova serving for the match. She starts with a wide one, then goes back in behind, sending it wide. Gavrilova 6 5 - 0 Bouchard 1 4 - 15
Scott Pryde
Expert
Bouchard holds to love. Wide serve, big forehand to the corner and Gavrilova returns it wide. Gavrilova 6 5 - Bouchard 1 4 -
Scott Pryde
Expert
Bouchard with a fault. The second is at the body, returned short and smacked with the backhand for the winner. Gavrilova 6 5 - 0 Bouchard 1 3 - 40
Scott Pryde
Expert
Gavrilova runs around a forehand return this time, smacking it to the baseline, but sending it long. Gavrilova 6 5 - 0 Bouchard 1 3 - 30
Scott Pryde
Expert
Bouchard is going to keep fighting here. Wide serve, then a backhand to the corner. Gavrilova 6 5 - 0 Bouchard 1 3 - 15
Scott Pryde
Expert
Gavrilova holds. Bouchard serving to stay in the match now. Gavrilova 6 5 - Bouchard 1 3 -
Scott Pryde
Expert
A double fault from Gavrilova this time. She is less than impressed. Gavrilova 6 4 - 40 Bouchard 1 3 - 30
Scott Pryde
Expert
Body serve, then a forehand back in behind from Gavrilova. Great tennis. Gavrilova 6 4 - 40 Bouchard 1 3 - 15
Scott Pryde
Expert
Gavrilova with a fault. The second is down the middle and returned with some good depth. Bouchard on top of the point and then she smacks the crosscourt forehand from the edge of the service box. Gavrilova 6 4 - 30 Bouchard 1 3 - 15
Scott Pryde
Expert
Bouchard up to the net with a great approach shot down the line this time, but Gavrilova gets there and rips the backhand past. Gavrilova 6 4 - 30 Bouchard 1 3 - 0