By Tony Fairbairn, Britwatch Sports at Wimbledon
- Heather Watson admitted victory slipped from her fingers against Clara Tauson at Wimbledon.
- Jay Clarke spoke about being in a good place despite defeat to Dan Evans.
LONDON, ENGLAND – Heather Watson admitted that victory slipped between her fingers during her first round defeat to Clara Tauson at Wimbledon.
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First up in our recap, it’s time to hear from Heather Watson as her experience couldn’t quite pull her to an upset victory.
After claiming the opening set, Watson fell to a three set defeat to Clara Tauson in what was a frustrating defeat for the Brit.
It was a match that was a missed opportunity for Watson to pick up some momentum and after the match the Brit said that the match slipped from her fingers.
“That’s exactly the first words that came out of my mouth when I saw my coaches: I let that slip through my fingers,” Watson claimed in her press conference.
“I needed to be on it that second set, and the first game especially. With how I’ve been playing and how much experience I have under my belt now, I felt like this match was really mine, and I really believed it was, but some days you just don’t play your best.
“I’m saying that from the second set. I was playing my best in the first set. It’s not the entire match, but it happens sometimes.”
Time is running out for Watson with this being her 15th Wimbledon and her ranking continuing to drop.
However, Watson has refused to throw in the towel yet as she hopes to be back at Wimbledon and next year with a target being on doing it with her own ranking.
“Hopefully not. That’s not my plan. I want to play as long as I’m still playing tournaments like this,” Watson defiantly claimed.
“I was so grateful for the opportunity when the tournament gave me the wild card, because this for me is the pinnacle. Like when I walked out onto court today, I got a little bit emotional, because it’s so special.
“I just appreciate it so much any time I get to be a part of this tournament. So hopefully I’ve still got a few left in me and I can get there on my own next year.”
Clarke happy with progress after tough Wimbledon defeat
It’s time to move on to Jay Clarke who was beaten in straight sets by Dan Evans in a tough draw for the wildcard.
Speaking after the match Clarke admitted it was a tough day in the office as things didn’t quite work out the way he would have wanted.
“Yeah, it was pretty similar, unfortunately, to the other match I played during the grass season. I had some chances. Didn’t really take them,” Clarke explained.
“Then when the other chances came, I didn’t protect my serve well enough early on in the sets. Yeah, you can’t really do that on grass tennis. That’s what he did a lot better than me, 30-All points, Love-30. He put in two very good first serves. Yeah, I hit a couple of double faults at unfortunate times in big moments. Yeah, it kind of just went away from me.”
Despite the defeat Clarke took some positive things away from the experience as he has had an incredible last couple of months where he regained his 200 ranking.
“It’s just one match, at the end of the day. I’ve had a good year so far,” Clarke observed.
“At the start I was outside 300, and now I’m back up to 180-something in the world. We’re only six months into the year. There’s still another six months. So, yeah, this one match doesn’t — it doesn’t mean I’m crap. It doesn’t mean I’m amazing either. Yeah, I just need to basically just get better.”
The season Clarke referred to has included a Challenger title as he is now in a position where he could play US Open qualifying.
Ending his press conference Clarke stated that he is happy at where his game is at.
“Yeah, I’m really happy with where I’m at. My ranking goal at the start of the year was to end the year inside the top 200, and I’ve done that six months early,” Clarke happily said.
“Yeah, it stings today, but I mean, I’m in a good place with where I said I wanted to be six months ago.”
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Burrage feels the pressure while Jones reflects on ‘deflated’ feeling
Finally it’s time to hear what Jodie Burrage and Francesca Jones have had to say after their defeats to Caty McNally and Yuliia Starodubtseva respectively.
Burrage was well and truly beaten by McNally but said that an ankle injury on media day meant that she couldn’t perform her as well as she would have liked to.
“Friday, you know, I was feeling fine. Then it was actually here, I rolled my ankle at the bottom step of the media bit as you go out,” Burrage explained in her press conference.
“You know, doesn’t feel amazing. You know, shook me a little bit. The prep wasn’t ideal coming into the match today. I had to make some adjustments. Yeah, right now, obviously not feeling great, but my body has been fine since coming back.
“I think that’s why it’s just disappointing that something happens like that at a tournament like this, but we did what we could today. You know, with how Caty played, I needed to make her play balls. You know, she made me play lots. I just couldn’t do it.
“It’s nowhere near 100%. But, you know, I could get out there and play some sort of level. You know, my level today was shocking compared to how I’ve been playing the last few weeks. There’s probably a few things going into that.
“Wanting to do well this week at Wimbledon because I missed it last year. Obviously what I just said about what happened on Friday. I think, yeah, just everything. Sometimes you just have a bad day at the office, and sometimes your opponent has a very good one.”
It’s disappointing for Burrage who has had a very good season up until this point with some of the performances she has produced.
The extra pressure of performing in front of her family was too much for Burrage as she got emotional during her press conference.
“Pressure is probably the wrong word. I just wanted to do well. I think I’ve got past the point of feeling pressure at these events, and I can deal with that side of things,” Burrage emotionally said.
“I think I just wanted more from myself. I know the work that I’ve put in, and I felt like I deserved a better outcome than that. It wasn’t ideal the last few days what happened. Actually, that probably took any pressure off.
“I have a lot of family members, friends. You know, it’s disappointing when you — yeah, when you can’t play how you want to play, and you feel like you’ve let them down a bit, which is — you speak to them and they will not say that at all. They’ll tell me how proud they are of me and stuff. It’s probably that that hurts the most.
“I guess it’s not pressure, but that’s what comes along with these events.”
Meanwhile, Jones was edged out in three sets by Starodubtseva and the Brit couldn’t help but feeling deflated especially after winning the opening set.
“Really deflated, to be honest. Not much else I can say. I mean, I played a really good set and a half, and then I think momentum switched. She got the better of me there,” Jones stated.
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