By Tennis Now | Thursday, January 3, 2019
Julia Goerges saved match point to force the final-set tiebreak subduing Genie Bouchard, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6), to reach her fifth Auckland semifinal.
Photo credit: ASB Classic Facebook
An ambitious reach helped Julia Goerges extend her roll in Auckland.
The defending ASB Classic champion denied a match point to force the final-set tiebreak then converted her third match point with a sensational stab forehand volley subduing Genie Bouchard, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6), bursting into her fifth Auckland semifinal.
Bouchard: Attitude was F***ed Up
Amid swirling winds that created unruly service tosses and unpredictable bounces, both women played high-quality tennis that built to a pulsating climax in the tiebreak.
"I'm just very happy I won that match today," Goerges said afterward. "I think we couldn't expect some high quality match because of the wind and the tough conditions.
"But I think we both managed it as well as we could. At the end it was very exciting and I'm just happy I got through it somehow."
Little separated the pair, but Goerges' willingness to attack proved pivotal. A slick stab volley gave Goerges a 3-1 tiebreak lead.
Attacking again, Goerges knifed a backhand volley winner for 5-3. When Bouchard rolled a backhand return wide, Goerges had double match point.
The Canadian wasn't done. Bouchard saved two match points on a pair of errors.
The world No. 14 fired a forehand down the line for a third match point.
The ensuing seven-shot rally was electric with Bouchard cracking a pass to test the champ, who used every inch of her reach to flick that full-stretch forehand stab volley to end it.
It was Goerges' eighth straight Auckland victory and vaults her into the semifinals against Viktoria Kuzmova.
The 20-year-old Slovak scored three return winners in the final game knocking American wild card Amanda Anisimova out, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, in two hours.
A resurgent Bouchard played clean, confident tennis in the opening set.
Quick off the mark, Bouchard ran down a drop shot and shoveled a short forehand pass down the line, breaking for 3-1. Goerges saved a set point holding for 3-5.
The former Wimbledon finalist served out the opening set at 15. Bouchard committed just three unforced errors in the set—10 fewer than Goerges, who has an elaborate backswing on her forehand that created some timing issues amid the wind.
The second-seeded German, who led the WTA in aces in 2018, found her range and rhythm in the second set. Whipping the wide serve to set up her first strike, Goerges blistered 16 winners compared to two for the Canadian in snatching the second set and forcing the decider.
When Goerges missed the mark on her forehand, Bouchard had the break and a 2-0 third-set lead she quickly stretched to 3-0. Goerges kept calm and broke back for 2-3.