Eugenie Bouchard sets up showdown with Simona Halep at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships

Pair will meet in the second round after Canadian defeats Vera Lapko 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday

Eugenie Bouchard is through to the second round in Dubai. EPA

Wildcard Eugenie Bouchard will face world No 3 Simona Halep in the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships after winning her first-round match on Sunday.

The Canadian, once as high as No 5 in the world but now at No 80, proved too strong for Vera Lapko as she prevailed 6-3, 6-4 on Centre Court.

Her reward is a match-up with Halep, who had a first-round bye. It comes a month after the Romanian beat the 24 year old 6-2, 6-2 in the second round of the Australian Open.

Halep is 3-1 up in past match-ups, but Bouchard will have fond memories of her lone success over the 2018 French Open champion, as it came at Wimbledon in the semi-finals in 2014, putting her through to her first, and currently only, grand slam final appearance.