Watson cried and cried over worst loss
HEATHER WATSON virtually cried herself to sleep after her defeat in the first round of the singles at this year’s Wimbledon, which she described as one of the worst and most painful of her entire career.
The 29-year-old has played at every Wimbledon since 2010, but lost an epic match to Kristie Ahn on Court 1 at the All England Club on Monday evening, failing to build on a one set lead and letting a match point in the second slip through her fingers.
In terms of Wimbledon, certainly no other defeat at SW19 has hurt her as much as this one.
‘It’s number one, right at the bottom,’ Watson exclusively told the Guernsey Press of the 2-6 7-6 (3) 8-6 loss.
‘I lost here one year to [Kirsten] Flipkens when I wasn’t feeling great and she also played well, but this match was different. I felt like I defeated myself. I just gave it away on important points.
‘Since then I’ve kept having flashbacks. I haven’t really stopped thinking about it. You just want to go back in time and change little things, the things that I didn’t do well in the match.
‘That night, I just couldn’t stop crying and I didn’t sleep until about 5am. It wasn’t great. But that’s sport. That’s life. It’s full of ups and downs.
‘I just need to make sure that I don’t let it get me down too much. I need it to make me stronger and grow from it. But, after that one, I needed a day.’
By that Watson, who is also in the women’s and mixed doubles competitions at this year’s Wimbledon, meant she needed a 24-hour break from tennis in an attempt to get her head back together.
‘I didn’t actually practise the next day. I just couldn’t face coming to the courts again, plus the trip [from the players’ bubble accommodation in Westminster] is pretty long. It takes up the whole day. I needed a day to regroup, to get away from it all, then come back onto the practise court with Harriet ([Dart, her women’s doubles partner]. I can’t say it was fun, but it had to be done.’
There was, however, consolation of sorts in the doubles as Watson and Dart put on a devastating display in their first round match against Kaia Kanepi of Estonia and Shuai Zhang from China, winning 6-3 6-2 on Thursday in just 65 minutes of play.
‘Even then I was still having flashbacks [to Monday night] but I’m glad that we are in the doubles and I got to play in a match like that, because they are both really good players.
‘I definitely felt I played better in the doubles than in the singles and it felt good to get a win.’
