In the 15 years since she first competed in the singles, Heather Watson has had a fair few highs and the odd miserable low on the hallowed turf of the All England Club.
Yesterday’s defeat to Clara Tauson of Denmark will, however, probably go down as the most frustrating.
In sweltering conditions out on Court 12, one of Wimbledon’s show courts, Watson succumbed in the first round of the women’s singles to the No 23 seed, taking the first set 6-2 only to lose the second and third 6-4, 6-3 respectively.
Despite a gap of 125 places in their world rankings – Watson is currently placed at 148 – this is a match the Sarnian could, and perhaps should, have won.
When you clinch the opening set against a player who has lost in the first round at her three previous Wimbledons, as Tauson has, then you have every right to expect to see the match out.
The fact that Watson did not was, in effect, down to two things – her poor first serves during the second and third sets, and Tauson’s willingness to stay in the fight, laced perhaps with a hint of gamesmanship.
The Dane’s decision to take an extended toilet break at the end of the first set undoubtedly took the wind out of Watson’s sails.
‘It’s not ideal, but what can you do?’ said Watson of Tauson’s exit in the direction of the bathroom.
‘It was smart. Would I have done the same thing? No, I wouldn’t. But there you go.
‘I started so well in that first set, I was playing great, and then during that second set my serve started to collapse.
‘I had such a terrible first serve percentage.
'When you’re playing a big-hitter, someone who takes a big swing at the ball, starting every point with a second serve is not ideal.
‘I felt like I was climbing an uphill battle in those next two sets.’
As hot as it was at Wimbledon, with temperatures touching the 34C mark, Watson refused to blame the conditions for her defeat.
‘No, it wasn’t a factor for me today,’ she added.
‘Yeah, it was hot out there by (Wimbledon) standards, but we’re used to playing in hot temperatures in other parts of the world.
‘For me, it was more about the serve.
'That was the most frustrating thing.’
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