Watson and Murray win opener in Perth
HEATHER WATSON began her 2015 campaign with a defeat, but was able to partner Andy Murray to the narrowest of Hopman Cup victories in scorching Perth yesterday.
Starting off their group stage campaign of the non-ranking invitational team event against France, the British duo were pushed all the way before winning the decisive doubles rubber.
Sarnian Watson, who begins this season at No. 50 in the world rankings, was always a big underdog in her singles encounter against Alize Cornet.
Cornet is ranked at No. 18 and her class showed as she romped to a 6-2, 6-2 success in a match that 22-year-old Watson never looked like challenging in.
In the mixed doubles, things started off well for Watson and Murray as they took the first set 6-4, only for their opponents to respond well and take the second by the same scoreline.
It set up a tie-break set – first to 10 points – to decide it and after each point went to and fro, the British pair held their nerve to edge it 10-8.
More in today's Guernsey Press.
