Heather Watson: 'I'm no maniac'
HEATHER WATSON has broken her silence over the punishment she received for damaging a court at Wimbledon during her first-round women's singles defeat.
The 24-year-old was hit with a massive $12,000 fine for slamming her racket into the turf on Court 12 at the All England Club during her loss to Annika Beck of Germany last week.
The fine is the second- heaviest ever handed out to a player by Wimbledon bosses.
'I was so shocked,' said Watson yesterday. 'I looked at the piece of paper, saw the 2, and thought 'OK, I've been fined'.
'But 12, for bouncing my racket once, is I think a bit excessive especially because I haven't done anything like this before. I have no previous history. I'm not like a maniac on court. I don't do controversial things consistently or ever really.
'It was a bad mistake. I know it was the wrong thing to do, but it was in the heat of the moment in a match I was desperate to win. I don't see it as fair, but there's nothing I can do.'
On the plus side Watson is through to the quarter- finals of the mixed doubles at Wimbledon with playing partner Henri Kontinen of Finland following an excellent 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Leander Paes and Martina Hingis, the defending champions.
'I had the most fun out there and thought I played the best that I have in mixed doubles,' Watson added.
'In the first set we were just finding our ground, getting comfortable with each other, and then we just kind of took off especially in that third set.
