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HOBART, Australia - Eugenie Bouchard battled past fellow former Top 10 player Dominika Cibulkova on Friday to reach the final of the Hobart International, her first WTA final since Wuhan in 2014.

The unseeded Bouchard, who had already taken out No.8 seed Alison Van Uytvanck and No.2 seed Camila Giorgi in the last two rounds, won the first set in just 22 minutes and was up a break four times in the second but ended up having to go to a third to edge the No.3-seeded Cibulkova, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.

"I'm just happy I got through today," Bouchard said. "The first set was a great level for me - I can't remember the last time I played that well. Now the important thing is to keep that consistency. It was hard to keep it up - it's another lesson I've learned, to control my emotions a little bit better.

"I don't think I held serve in the second set, which is absolutely disgusting - I'm so disappointed in myself for that. But she was really putting pressure on me with her returns out there today."

The 2014 Wimbledon finalist and former World No.5 has now won six of seven matches to start 2016.

She knew she was feeling good coming into Hobart - she spoke about it in her pre-tournament presser.

"I'm feeling pretty good. I wouldn't want to play if I was somewhat prepared, so I worked really hard in the off-season to catch up a little bit," Bouchard said. "I'm just so happy to be back on the court. That's the most important thing - I'm so grateful and excited to be back playing on the tour again.

"I just love the feeling of playing tennis," she added. "When you're forced not to do something you really love, you realize you truly love it, and, for me, I realized how much I truly missed it."

The other semifinal took place later in the afternoon and lasted 53 minutes, as No.7 seed Alizé Cornet held all seven of her service games and broke five times to beat Johanna Larsson, 6-1, 6-1.

Though Cornet is the higher-ranked of the two, No.42 to No.47, Bouchard leads the Frenchwoman in their head-to-head series, 2-1, winning their last two meetings in a row in straight sets, as well.

Cornet does have more experience in WTA finals though, going 4-5, while Bouchard is 1-3 lifetime.

Alizé Cornet cruised through her final two matches at the Hobart International, losing two games in the semifinals and dropping only three more in Saturday's final against the resurgent Eugenie Bouchard to win her first title in nearly two years, 6-1, 6-2.

"I was very focused for the whole tournament and the whole match today, and now I can let go!" Cornet told press after the match. "To start the year this way, it's the best."

After surviving a dramatic second round encounter with Veronica Cepede Royg, the Frenchwoman earned a reprieve when No.9 seed Mona Barthel was forced to withdraw due to a back injury, and had drama-free affairs with Johanna Larsson and Bouchard, who herself was in her first final since the 2014 Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.

Cornet had lost her last two meetings with the Canadian - including a Wimbledon fourth round along the way to Bouchard's first major final - but was in imperious form in Hobart, breaking serve seven times to win in just over an hour.

"Each time we've played against each other, it was a tough battle and at least two hours, three sets or two tight sets. This time, I was just a little bit better from the beginning of the match. I was patient, trying to be aggressive but trying to play the right shot at the right time. It all worked out my way today, and it's just great to have an easy final like this because finals are already so emotional!"

Both women have potentially blockbuster second round encounters at the upcoming Australian Open; Cornet could play No.2 seed Simona Halep - who has struggled on and off with an Achilles' injury to start the season - while Bouchard was drawn perilously close to No.4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska.

For Bouchard, it has nonetheless been a great start to the season following the disappointments of 2015; the Canadian has had the most consistent results of any player in the first two weeks, with a quarterfinal appearance in Shenzhen and a runner-up trophy here in Hobart.

"I'm going to try to regroup; I have a couple of days, and just go to Melbourne and be excited to be at a Slam."