Watson gets Wimbledon wild card
HEATHER WATSON will definitely be competing in the singles at Wimbledon this year.
The 27-year-old was yesterday granted a wild card into the championships by the All England Club, ending a fortnight of uncertainty over whether the Sarnian would or would not be appearing in her 10th straight Wimbledon.
Watson’s singles world ranking dropped seven places to 122 on Monday following her recent first round exits at Nottingham and Birmingham. Only those players in the top 112 are guaranteed automatic entry into Wimbledon’s main draw.
That meant Watson was left relying on a wild card or getting in through qualifying which, given her inconsistent form over the past 12 months, would have been a tall order.
‘I’m just super happy,’ said Watson of her wild card confirmation.
‘I’ve had some wins on grass lately but qualifying is always tough because of all the competition out there. I’d like to thank the LTA [Lawn Tennis Association] for putting their faith in me.’
It is the LTA, the game’s governing body in the UK, that recommends a list of wild cards to the All England Club, which makes the final decision.
The LTA’s choice is often based on a range of criteria such as work ethic, past form and recent form.
Having competed at every Wimbledon since 2010 and won a recent International Tennis Federation tournament in Japan, few could argue that Watson – a crowd favourite wherever she plays – has earned her right to this year’s wild card.
Rather than having to qualify for Wimbledon, Watson is now free to play at Eastbourne next week, traditionally the final pre-Wimbledon warm-up event of the grass court tennis calendar.
She will discover the identity of her Wimbledon first-round singles opponent when the draw is made at the All England Club on Friday 28 June, three days before the championships begins.
