BEFORE: Just last year Eugenie Bouchard was pictured as the heir apparent to Maria Sharapova's WTA glamour throne but her results have dropped off the boil dramatically in 2015 to the point everyone seems to be keen on playing her entering the new season. And the queen herself is ready to remind the blonde upstart about the pecking order being accussed of working the endorsements drill schedule to the extreme which left her out of the ring for most of last year as well.

"I can't say I was too busy to stay in shape for some boxing but I know Genie's learning the hard lesson out there and well, we both need a good test tonight!", the Russian explains to the media before the fight, "Sometime you just have to go out and do your job and as much I love what Genie does outside the tennis court she's not quite ready to take over the reigns just yet. I know plenty of girls wish to see my downfall but I'm still here and not going anywhere so please be careful with your predictions!"

Eugenie Bouchard wears a violet bikini set with pink trim and white gloves. Blonde hair tied in a braid. Maria Sharapova wears a black one-piece V-shaped swimsuit with silver trim and red gloves. Blonde hair tied in a custom ponytail. The fight is scheduled for ten rounds in the welterweight division.

Round 1:
Bouchard wants to tame the Sharapova's well known aggressive punching from the word go and she does extremely well to knock some leather upstairs early rendering the mighty Russian uncomfortable and just shaking off the Canadian rush off her back foot. The piercing drive blasts the Russian guard aside and spins the ponytail often enough to make the Singapore crowd roar in support. Nothing to choose between these two marking wise and it's a PR manager's dream to see them duke it out on the Asian market but Bouchard wants the win and does everything but to trap Sharapova on the ropes in the opening round with the Russian stagnant all he way through but unfazed by her opponent's efforts to take full control of action.

Round 2:
Sometimes Sharapova is guilty of a slow start and Bouchard settles in the uptempo assault barging into her face on the fly early in the second round again. The lack of production from the Russian surprises even the fast pacing Canadian herself who backs away for a moment trying to second guess the game plan and looking Maria deep in the eye. And that's what unloads the Russian offence as Sharapova rips a quick left/right hooking combo before adding a nasty belter on the ribs to make Genie wince all of he sudden. A leather burst up the middle follows and dwarfs the Canadian guard on the spot leading to a classic jabbing rush Sharapova's famous for and Bouchard just ceases into a desperate earmuff but refuses to yield real estate. Bad idea all around as Maria gives her a fat lip before the round is over and rocks her head back & forth almost racking up punches at will which clearly indicates this is not the Genie of 2014 at all.

Round 3:
At least the Canadian fancies an immediate response to the fellow blonde's rage in the previous round but she can't work around the superior reach of the Russian who in turn jumps into a steady rush upstairs again and bumps more shots into Bouchard's face. Genie is quickly reeled on her heels and this time she has to seek the escape route but Sharapova keeps her honest with more punishing hooks over the top and adds pressure from both sides staggering the younger blonde with a quick shot from the left that smacks the brow ridge into a visible swelling. Genie fails to enforce the mid range stance and gets pounded back to the ropes as her execution is simply shattered by the Russian's leather rush which is focused upstairs and almost destined to rough the Canadian up down the stretch. A tired looking clinching effort saves Bouchard's pride late in the going but Maria gives her a cheeky smile knowing fully well she's poised to ham it up for the PR agents again and Genie looks plain spooked when eating all this leather to confirm the pre-fight odds.

Round 4:
More problems for the Canadian who gets stacked up in the corner early with another Russian leather rush and it's truly worrying if you can't even beat Maria for pace across the canvas. Genie basically allowed her rival to walk her down and pin in the precarious position at will and the strikes are brutally effective against a girl short of confidence. Cue in the point blank range drill that slams Bouchard's guard aside and roughs her up OK just soaking up the uptempo amid painful aches. And the worst part is that Maria doesn't even look like going full kettle here and pauses briefly before adjusting an uppercut on the chin. Bouchard's offence sails off to the sunset wholesale and she's just hanging on for survival while Sharapova's keen to strike that poster perfect uppercut and sure enough, she almost lifts the Canadian off her feet in the dying seconds but the hard chin is the only things that saves Genie from a quick exit; the Canadian looks all out of sorts at the bell.

Round 5:
Genie just doesn't have the confidence in her once Maria started to hassle the leather playbook and a ripping cross hook blasts her on the nose seconds into the fifth with the Russian blowing past the high guard at will again and knocking more steam out of her aching opponent. Bouchard's chin withstood the uppercut menace before but not even the best Canadian prospect can soak up a piercing hook to the ear which leads Maria's knockout quest... GENIE'S ROCKED... she stumbles back to the ropes with her arms collapsing by the side and the sheer reach allows Maria to clip the nose on an ugly looking route that would have never caught the other girl if Sharapova wasn't a six footer. Still, it's good enough to bend Bouchard to the right with eyes closed and she doesn't even notice a monster left hook that slams her on the nose and turns her lights out on the spot. Vintage KO5 Maria Sharapova!!!

AFTER: That's a cruel finish to Bouchard's campaign to remain in the WTA elite group but if there's anyone capable of knocking an opponent out with a quick one-two drill it's none else than Maria Sharapova. She leaves the Canadian face down with arms above her head and it's a messy sight especially that the victorious Russian is ready to answer the media first rather than look after the fallen opponent. It's the "next girl up" attitude that puts the entire WTA division on hold most of the time and Bouchard is just the latest victim of the familiar landscape. What's worse though, 2016 is destined to be a survival year for her even given the Sharapova-like glamour career in endorsement deals. Sometimes you don't have to win to keep your accountant happy but the level of Genie's respect among her peers is dwindling quickly and even Daniela Hantuchova - through her twitter account - openly vows to beat the Canadian up next.

Final result: Maria Sharapova def. Eugenie Bouchard KO5.