A pair of blonde bombshells take to Arthur Ashe Stadium in the second round of US Open action on Thursday. One of them reached the final of the last major, while the other reached the final last year in New York.

Eugenie Bouchard versus Sorana Cirstea

The general consensus heading into the 2014 US Open was that the women’s draw was fairly wide open.  It comes as no surprise then that the early rounds have already produced more than a few surprising results.   When Eugenie Bouchard takes to the court on Thursday, she will be doing her best to avoid becoming one of those shockers, while Sorana Cirstea will be aiming to add her name to the growing list of upset winners.

Between the pair, Bouchard appears the most apt to secure the victory.  The Canadian has made a huge splash on the WTA in 2014.  She earned her first title on the clay in Nürnberg this past spring, and more notably, she has reached the semifinals or better at each of the year’s first three majors.  Her stellar results have propelled her to the top 10 in the rankings, and many believe she is poised to only get better from here.

Cirstea can hardly be said to even hold a candle to Bouchard at the moment.  The Romanian, who showed so much promise at the very start of her career, has been battling injuries and seen her game and ranking suffer as a result.  Ranked No. 80 with predominantly mediocre results this season, she is but a shadow of the woman who reached the quarterfinals of Roland Garros in 2009.

Obviously on paper, this is a contest that clearly favors the Canadian.  But, as fans and pundits have already seen in the opening days of this year’s US Open, things do not always transpire as predicted.  For all the accolades and accomplishments Bouchard has garnered this season, she has looked extremely vulnerable for the last month.  She lost both of her openers in Montréal and Cincinnati and only managed to win one match in New Haven before being easily dismissed by Samantha Stosur.  She has freely admitted that she is starting to feel the pressure a little more, and she cannot currently be at her most confident. 

Additionally, Cirstea and Bouchard have never played, and for all that Bouchard has done in 2014, she has not yet earned the same type of reputation as someone like Serena Williams or Maria Sharapova.  Cirstea is unlikely to be intimidated by her, which means she can somewhat start off the match on equal footing with the Canadian.  And finally, it was just last year that Cirstea was knocking on the door to the top 20, so she knows she has the necessary tools to hang with Bouchard.

Whether or not Cirstea can tap into that form remains to be seen.  Much could also depend on whether Bouchard starts to play the brand of tennis that took her to the Wimbledon final.  If both can accomplish that, then fans are in for a real treat, because there could be so much more to this encounter than what at first meets the eye. 

Victoria Azarenka versus Christina McHale

It is amazing how much things can change in just such a short span of time.  Twelve, or even six, months ago, most would have looked at a match between Victoria Azarenka and Christina McHale as an all-but-certain victory for the Belarusian.  When the two square off on Thursday, however, things may not be quite so straightforward.

A big part of the reason why this could turn into a complicated affair is that Azarenka has been struggling with injuries for a good portion of 2014.  She had a solid start to the year down in Australia, but after an early loss at Indian Wells, she was not seen again until Eastbourne.  Understandably, she has struggled to find her rhythm and range, and she came into this US Open ranked a disappointing No. 17.

If ever there were a player who could commiserate with Azarenka’s plight, however, it would be McHale.  After stunning Caroline Wozniacki three years ago in Cincinnati, McHale was thought by many to be the next big thing in American tennis before illness and injuries began to take a heavy toll.  Thankfully, after a dismal 2013, McHale seems to be turning it around.  She has gotten her ranking back into the top 50 and has started to once again put together some deep runs at the WTA-level events.  She should be keen to take the next step by claiming a big win over a top star and making some headway at a major.

McHale should feel fairly optimistic about her odds of getting that big win and advancing.  She is an aggressive baseliner who does not shy away from utilizing her forehand to control the points.  She loves the hard courts, particularly those at Flushing Meadows, and the US Open has historically been her best major.  Equally important to her comfort level at this venue is that she comes in knowing she is playing a subpar Azarenka, against whom she is 1-1 lifetime.

Of course, Azarenka would be the first to point out that her one loss to McHale came courtesy of a retirement.  Furthermore, the Belarusian’s lone win over McHale was a 6-0 6-0 drubbing.  Additionally, the former No. 1 is just as comfortable on the hard courts.  She has reached the final of the US Open the last two years and has won a number of other prestigious hard-court events, thanks in no small part to a reliable and lethal backhand she can use to find angles and rip up the line.  She is unlikely to be too worried about what McHale brings to the table.

Assuming that both McHale and Azarenka bring their best to the table, this could be one of the better second-round matches.  Both are looking to do similar things out there, albeit using differing strengths.  The biggest question mark is Azarenka.  If she is feeling the ball well, her game and experience should see her through safely.  If not, this could turn into a golden opportunity for McHale.