Disappointing especially her service stats. We don't know what her prep has been like so difficult to judge and what is her motivation in juniors having already won a slam.
Now have to focus on the doubles with Robbo.

Pity for Heather - she must be very disappointed. Must be tough coming from exams to playing in a GS without any competitive matches.

From the ITF site:

It was a match in which Watson never got going and Tang took full advantage, crunching winner after winner from the baseline while the Briton coughed up an uncharacteristic number of mistakes. The first set was gone in a flash and though she battled back well in the second, she fell away again in the decider as Tang reasserted her authority.

I am very disappointed, Watson said. Before the match I was warming up great, playing well and striking the ball well. But from the first point I just never got into it and I was framing way too many balls, making way too many mistakes. She was very consistent today, she hit some good shots, but I just never felt like I was comfortable or playing well.

Watson chose not to play a warm-up tournament before arriving in Melbourne but said she had still expected to play well. I dont know why it happened, she said. I dont think I was believing in my shots today. I havent played a tournament in quite a few weeks now and I didnt play a warm-up tournament before this. I just never let myself get into it.

Still when I won the second set I didnt feel comfortable but I was hoping things would fall into place, that it would loosen me up a bit and I would strike the ball better but I just never did. I think I did what I could. I should have loosened up, but I never got my mind around it.

Between April and November Heather's opponent won 40 junior matches in a row. She is 16 next month and currently world junior number 47.

Doubles Section:

Laura Robson / Heather Watson (5) v Eugenie Bouchard CAN / Luksika Kumkhum THA

Despina Papamichail GRE / Yulia Putintseva RUS v Emi Mutaguchi JPN / Akiko Omae JPN

They play 4th on court 6 (Laura's singles is 2nd on the same court). Putintseva is a potential 2nd round opponent in both singes & doubles for Laura.

Bouchard is 1994,  ranked 34th with one grade B win and a grade A doubles SF. Kumkhm is  1993, ranked 55th with two grade 3 wins. Doesn't look too big a challenge on paper. Unfortunately, that's not a recognized surface.


-- Edited by RBBOT on Sunday 24th of January 2010 09:45:34 PM

Robson and Bouchard are like best mates or something.

She lost a game.

This girl is going nowhere with slack play like that.