She needed to grind through three rounds of qualifying to begin her Auckland campaign, and then earned a break when eighth seed Alison van Uytvanck retired in their first round encounter.
Her performance on centre court belied her resume though, displaying an excellent return game that frustrated Bouchard, and coming from 5-3 down to stunningly take the first set. Serving for the set, Bouchard thought she had wrapped it up with an ace, walking off the court, but a Schoofs challenge proved prescient, and she came storming back to eventually claim it in a tiebreak.
The Dutchwoman was making few mistakes, and luring Bouchard – who was struggling with her approach shots - to the net, before unleashing passing shots – to the left, right, and over top of the 24-year-old.
However, her first set comeback was merely the start of a back-and-forth encounter. You could have found better service in remote places of Siberia, such was the ease at which both players broke serve. There were five breaks in a row in the second set, until Bouchard – showing glimpses of the power and stroke-making which made her world number five – finally held to send it to a deciding set.
A deciding set where little changed. Three straight breaks of serve started proceedings, but Bouchard finally broke the resistance of Schoofs, scrapping her way to a victory that was by no means pretty, but still valuable, as she claws her way back to the top of the sport.
"That was a really tough match," said Bouchard after the two and a half hour marathon.
"I don't think I played my best at times, I don't think I had a good attitude at times - I got too emotional - but I'm glad I got myself together in the third, and just kept fighting, no matter what."
With Goerges next up, after a 6-4 6-4 victory over compatriot Mona Barthel, the tough tests won't stop for Bouchard.
