Watson collects Yankee scalps
HEATHER WATSON won two rubbers out of three, including two on the final day, but it was not enough to prevent the United States edging out Great Britain 6-5 for the Maureen Connolly Trophy in Texas on Saturday.
HEATHER WATSON won two rubbers out of three, including two on the final day, but it was not enough to prevent the United States edging out Great Britain 6-5 for the Maureen Connolly Trophy in Texas on Saturday. Guernsey's national under-16 champion was one of a five-girl British team taking on the best America can offer at 16 and under level in an event named after the legendary grand slam winner 'Little Mo' and inaugurated in 1973.
Watson made a fantastic start to the three-day match played at the Dallas Country Club, storming throu-gh the first set 6-0 against US number one, Kristie Ahn from New Jersey.
But Ahn hit back to steal the second 7-5 and then take control in the third, winning the decider 6-3.
Britain trailed 4-0 at the end of the first day but reduced the deficit to 3-5 in the middle day on which Watson did not appear.
But the Guernsey girl lined up twice on the final day and in the opening singles rubber of the day defeated Jacqueline Cako, a quarter-finalist at the US under-18 championships, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
In stifling 32C heat, which sent GB's Tara Moore heading to hospital and put on a drip, Watson returned to the court in the final dead rubber of the match and, together with Steph Cornish, beat Ahn and Alexandra Cercone 6-4, 7-5.
The United States now lead the biennial series 21-11.
During its 32-year history, the Maureen Connolly Challenge Trophy has featured great players such as Pam Shriver, Kathy Jordan, Zina Garrison, Amy Frazier and Lisa Raymond for the USA and Jo Durie and Sue Barker for Great Britain.
