Watson back to form with two titles

HEATHER WATSON has put behind her the recent disappointments at the Eddie Herr International and the Junior Orange Bowl by winning back-to-back tournaments. Before Christmas Watson, who is a student at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, was dumped out in the early rounds of the two biggest tournaments in the international junior calendar - the Eddie Herr and the Orange Bowl.

But the young Guernsey star has overcome those upsets by taking a Bollettieri grand prix event and a United States Tennis Association sanctioned competition.

In both tournaments, the 14-year-old was competing in the under-18 categories.

'The Eddie Herr and the Orange Bowl were disappointing and hopefully she's learnt that it's different playing older girls as they don't expect her to be losing games to girls her own age,' said Heather's mother, Michelle.

At the Eddie Herr International in the last week of November, Watson was knocked out in the second round by the number one seed in the tournament, Karena Paliivets from Canada. A couple of weeks later at the Orange Bowl, she was defeated in the opening round by Latvia's rising star, Alina Jermonina.

At this month's grand prix competition, Watson was ranked as the number one seed and she lived up to the top billing as she made it through to the final without dropping a set and came through to take the trophy.

Going into the USTA graded tournament, Watson found herself seeded six. She won her first two matches 6-0, 6-0 to get through to the semi-finals where she faced the number one seed, Carling Seguso.

She came through in three sets.

In the final, the Sarnian came up against Mary Clayton, who is in her squad at the academy. Watson breezed past her, 6-2, 6-2.

She is currently preparing for a two-week trip to Central America for her first two ITF tournaments for 2007 at the end of this month. She will feature in Mexico, Costa Rica and El Salvador.

The big aim for her this year is to qualify for Junior Wimbledon in July.

'If she can get into the top 200 in the under-18 International Tennis Federation rankings by the summer, she'll qualify,' said Michelle Watson.

* Last night at the Garenne Group Guernsey Sports Commission Sporting Achievement Awards Heather Watson was winner of the Lambourne Shield.