By Ros Satar
- Heather Watson [Q] def. Veronika Kudermetova 6-3 7-5
- Faces lucky loser Cristina Bucsa [LL]
- H2H: First meeting
ABU DHABI, UAE – Heather Watson continues her run in Abu Dhabi, and will face lucky loser Cristina Bucsa in the round of 16.
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Heather Watson def. Veronika Kudermetova 6-3 7-5
It was a commanding start for Heather Watson, who was facing Veronika Kudermetova in place of her scheduled match against Jelena Ostapenko. The change in opponent did not phase the Brit, who broke Kudermetova straight away.
Although Kudermetova did break back, Watson gained the advantage with an immediate break back and stayed ahead to take the first set. It was a more competitive affair in the second set but Watson gained the upper hand with a break in the penultimate game, and closed out the set on her third match point.
H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Heather Watson [Q] v Cristina Bucsa [LL] | H2H: First Meeting |
| WTA Abu Dhabi | UAE |
| Hard (O) | Prize Money: $13,590 |
| Fourth on Stadium Court, not before 6:30pm (2:30pm GMT) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (2024)
| H2H: | Heather Watson (WR 156) | Cristina Bucsa (WR 74) |
| Tournament Previous Best | R2 (2021) | Debut |
| 1st Serve Return Points Won % | 28.6 | 36.0 |
| Return Points Won % | 32.2 | 44.8 |
| Break Point Conversion % | 33.3 | 41.2 |
| Break Points Saved % | 50.0 | 42.3 |
| Overall Service Points Won % | 54.3 | 55.6 |
Watson has proved to be better in terms of saving break points but Cristina Bucsa has played more matches than Watson this year, and her stats reflect more match-play.
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Playing Styles & Prediction
Bucsa is playing with house money so far, having lost in the final round of qualifying, and now finds herself in the round of 16, and she will be bidding for a spot in a first WTA quarter-final.
Meanwhile Watson is playing some inspired tennis at the moment – arguably also playing with the house money. She capitalised on the late withdrawal of Jelena Ostapenko but still had to actually beat Kudermetova and to do it in straight sets will give the Brit some confidence.
Prediction: Watson in three sets.
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