Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard has looked sharp this tournament, but she could be tested by her third-round opponent in WTA action at the Australian Open. Meanwhile, a pair of unseeded players from Central Europe vie for an improbable berth in the second week.

Eugenie Bouchard versus Caroline Garcia

Change is inevitable.  One day, the current established guard of women’s tennis will reluctantly hand over the reins to a new generation of players.  Eugenie Bouchard and Caroline Garcia are two of those young guns looking to grab hold of those reins, and on Friday, they will face off for a spot in the round of 16.

Many would argue that Bouchard has already made great strides in making her mark in the sport.  It was at this venue a year ago where she surprised everyone by reaching the semifinals.  She backed that up with a semifinal showing at Roland Garros, a finalist appearance at Wimbledon, and a fourth-round finish at the US Open.  Her 2015 has not started off too poorly either.  She drubbed Serena Williams in Hopman Cup play, and she has not come close to losing a set this tournament.  She looks like a player ready to build on her success from last year, and with the number of upsets that have plagued the women’s draw, she is in a prime position to do so at this event.

Of course, Garcia would probably like a moment for rebuttal.  The Frenchwoman was initially the one to receive all of the early hype.  Unfortunately for Garcia, her upward trend has been far less pronounced than that of Bouchard.  Whereas Bouchard has compiled an impressive list of victories, Garcia has primarily been just on the verge, never quite able to cross the finish line.  Still, not everyone develops at the same rate, and there is no question that Garcia has the talent to be a top contender.  She made progress towards that goal last year by capturing her maiden title in Acapulco, and she has matched her best result at a major with her appearance in the third round here.     

Undoubtedly, Garcia will be anxious to break new ground by advancing to the second week in Melbourne at Bouchard’s expense, and she is in with a legitimate chance to do so.  Garcia is the more explosive ball-striker, who is also capable of going bigger on her first serve.  The flipside of that is that she has less margin for error, but Garcia is going to have to take that risk in an attempt to control the majority of the rallies, due to Bouchard being the superior mover.  For Bouchard, she needs to look to put in a high percentage of first serves and capitalize when Garcia gives her a look at a second serve.  She does not want to play the role of retriever in this contest.

Bouchard seems the more likely candidate to handle the situation well.  She is ranked higher than Garcia and has far more experience on this stage.  These two have met once before, though, and it was Garcia who emerged victorious.  Furthermore, Bouchard has to handle the pressure that comes with being the favorite, and as someone who underperformed outside the majors last season, the Canadian is probably feeling extra heat to defend the points from her performance here last year.

There is definitely plenty at stake in this match for both women.  For Bouchard, it is a chance to further enhance her status as one of the new “It” girls of the sport.  For Garcia, it is an opportunity to take a big step towards realizing her full potential.  But no matter which way this one goes, hopefully they can put on a good show as the representatives of a new generation soon to lead women’s tennis.

Julia Goerges versus Lucie Hradecka

Sometimes, one person’s loss can be another’s gain.  With the number of women’s seeds that have already fallen by the way side, that scenario is likely to come true.  Unheralded competitors Julia Goerges and Lucia Hradecka are certainly optimistic that is the case.  Neither was slated to make it this far, but they now find themselves squaring off for a berth in the round of 16 in Melbourne.

Between the two, Hradecka’s appearance in the third round is definitely the bigger surprise.  Presently ranked No. 142, she had to play the qualifying just to get into the tournament.  And while she has tasted Grand Slam glory in the doubles arena, she has never been beyond the second round of any major in singles play.  You would hardly know that from the way she performed to this point, however.  She put together an exceptional match to get the upset win over Ana Ivanovic, and she showed plenty of heart to earn a victory over Polona Hercog in the last round.  She may be in uncharted territory now, but only a fool would underestimate her chances of advancing.

Julia Goerges is no fool, and while she will be fully aware of what Hradecka is capable of, she also has to feel good about her own chances in this encounter.  The German feels at home on the hard courts, and she is especially fond of playing at the Australian Open.  Despite falling far below her career-high ranking of No. 15, this venue is one of the few places where she finds her best stuff, as evidenced by her two previous trips to the round of 16 in 2012 and 2013.  A third trip could very well be in the cards.

If Goerges hopes to make that third trip, she is going to have to play fearless tennis against her Czech opponent.  Both women are hard-hitting competitors capable of taking the match out of an opponent’s hands.  Both are also adept in the forecourt, and if they pick and choose their spots wisely, could rush the other into mistakes.  But the challenge for these two women is the same.  They both play high-risk tennis, so they have to focus on coupling that with consistency if they wish to walk away the victor.

Hradecka has never been this far, and one has to wonder if eventually her inexperience will creep into her game.  For Goerges, she has to cope with being the favorite in this contest, but she should also take comfort in knowing she has been here before and has won four out of her five encounters with Hradecka, including her victory a couple of weeks ago in Auckland.  She has a solid look at earning a fifth win over the Czech.

Suffice it to say, this is a golden opportunity for these two women in what is a semi-wide open section of the draw.  They are still flying under the radar thanks to some of the heavy favorites that remain in contention, but keep an eye on these two.  They have already played a part in the decimation of the seeds, and at least one of them will get a crack at doing so again in week 2 of the Australian Open.