Week 28 - WTA Premier ($740K) - Stanford, USA Hard

Julia Carrot · All-time great

RE: Week 28 - WTA ($740K) - Stanford, USA Hard

Julia Carrot · All-time great

From the tournament website.

Heather Watson
Im very pleased with that result. Sloane is a great, young player who is very dangerous. She has been doing so well this past year. Its tough playing someone who is your friend, but I feel like we both gave it our all. So Im very pleased.
You never know how the match is going to go. Ive played Sloane three times, and all three times the matches have gone three sets. I knew it was going to be a battle and I just kept fighting until the end.
It has been so difficult adjusting to the hard courts. People watching might not understand, but you have to adapt your game, move your feet differently and hit the ball at a different height. The more I play on a surface, the better I get.

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

Impressive win for Heather. Looks like she might have a bit of a pyschological edge over Sloane when they play eachother.

Obviously difficult adapting from Grass to a Hard Court, but it's the same for both players, especially as they are a similar age (I would expect more experienced players might be able to adapt more quickly)

Maza1987 · Challenger level

a nice win that

Rich · Lower Club Player

Well done girl.

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

Great news to wake up to, especially considering it was night match against Sloane's home crowd.
Some very welcome points too as she's got 50 to defend between here and the end of the Olympics, and no chance to get any points during the Olympics

LordBrownof · Futures level

It would've been very easy to have had a dip in form after her heroics in the early rounds and then the drubbing from A-Rad at Wimbledon. Just goes to show what a great person/player Heather is.

Reeltime · Satellite level

Nicely done Hev.

Jan · Hall of fame

excellent Hev!

indiana · Tennis legend

Grsat news re Hev and a nice 60 points, so far smile

philwrig · Hall of fame

steven wrote:
The match was described as 'Messy McMess' by one American tweeter, but who cares if Hev 'won ugly' as long as she won
R1: WATSON. Heather (GBR) 79 beat STEPHENS, Sloane (USA) 49 7-6(5) 4-6 6-1
R1: KEOTHAVONG, Anne (GBR) 75 v BURDETTE, Mallory (USA) WC UNR - 3 am tonight
R2: WATSON. Heather (GBR) 79 v WICKMAYER, Yanina (BEL) 37 (CH 12 in 2010)

I was up and watched the end of the first set, went back to bed and then watched all of the third set from 2-0 in Hev's favour.

Heather was 4-1 down in the 1st set TB, but never got down on herself, played a couple of tough points to get back to 5-4 down then Sloane imploded with 3 bad errors including a double fault, so yes it wasn't great tennis. Sloane's body language was poor throughout the match whereas Heather's was very very good.

The third set was very impressive from Hev, never missed and hit some great winners. Her serve which hadn't been firing on all cylinders, really started to improve which made it even more difficult for Sloane. Both are basically counter punchers but no doubt Sloane doesn't like style Hev's style of play.

The umpire tried her best to help Sloane by overruling 2 calls, but thanks to Hawkeye Hev was able to challenge and overturn those dubious calls. There was also a big challenge from Hev during the TB which got a double fault on Sloane's serve.

adz1983 · Intermediate Club Player

Anne's doubles win should take her in to the top 100 if I'm not mistaken. Hev could follow her with a win too

tony_orient · ATP qualifying

So both Anne (in singles) and Heather (in doubles) need a win tonight to protect their GB No.1 ranking from eachother.

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

Hev's dubs next up, so in about an hour. Anne's single at 03.00.

-- Edited by Helen40 on Tuesday 10th of July 2012 09:57:06 PM

Helen40 · Grand Slam Champion

Hev's dubs is up on LS.