Maria Sharapova has said that it is "understandable" that Eugenie Bouchard is being compared to her.
The Canadian's quick rise through the rankings and marketability often see her compared to the five-time Grand Slam champion, who she will face in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
The world number two told reporters: "When I was coming up I was compared to [Anna] Kournikova for many years and still occasionally the name comes up in articles. That's just part of it, part of the game, part of the business. It's understandable. It is what it is.
"I said when I was still a teenager I didn't want to be the next anyone, I wanted to be the first Maria Sharapova. And that's how I've been through my whole career, we all want to create our own path."
Sharapova won the Australian Open in 2008 on her way to completing a grand slam of major honours.
Sian Cowper
