Agnieszka Radwanska sent out a message of intent to her title rivals at Australian Open 2016 on Wednesday night, producing a dazzling display to defeat Eugenie Bouchard 6-4 6-2. The fourth seed, a 2014 semifinalist in Melbourne, used her vast array of shots to out-smart an extremely aggressive performance from the young Canadian. Some ferocious hitting in the first set saw Bouchard land break point at 3-2, which she claimed with a sumptuous drop shot. However, back came Radwanska, with angled drives doing the damage. A series of cat and mouse rallies culminated with the world No.4 back in the ascendancy. Due to the potential threat of Bouchard, Radwanska was fully focused for the task at hand at Rod Laver Arena. Eventually a blistering Radwanska forehand on the rise claimed a 6-4 opener, with Bouchard’s 23 unforced errors proving costly. A dipping pass on the run kept up Radwanska’s momentum to break for 1-0 to start the second set. Her craft kept Bouchard guessing, and the Canadian failed to break through Radwanska’s armory despite collecting seven break-point opportunities and firing 25 winners along the way. Bouchard’s challenge disappeared at 2-5 having chalked up three break-back chances, Radwanska teasing the errors to fly off the Canadian’s racket. The poise, the efficiency and shot-making from Radwanska was reminiscent of her WTA Finals triumph at the end of last season in Singapore.
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