By Ros Satar
- Heather Watson [WC] v Iryna Shymanovich [Q]
- H2H: Shymanovich leads 1-0
CHARLESTON, USA – Heather Watson will look to win her first main draw match in Charleston in nine attempts when she takes on qualifier Iryna Shymanovich.
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Heather Watson [WC] v Iryna Shymanovich [Q] | H2H & Match Fundamentals
| Heather Watson [WC] v Iryna Shymanovich [Q] | H2H: Shymanovich leads 1-0 |
| WTA Charleston | USA |
| Clay (O) | Prize Money: $6,400 |
| First in Court Althea Gibson at 11am (4pom BST) | Sky/Now TV <- Subscription Required |
Heather Watson starts her clay court season in Charleston, having dropped to the ITF levels last week to pull herself back inside the Top 200, and faces qualifier
Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (Hard – 2025)
| H2H: | Heather Watson (WR 182) | Irina Shymanovich (WR 215) |
| Tournament Previous Best | R1 (2010, 2011, 2015, 2018, 2022) | Debut |
| 1st Serve Return Points Won % | 37.4 | 35.5 |
| Return Points Won % | 44.3 | 43.6 |
| Break Point Conversion % | 39.8 | 50.0 |
| Break Points Saved % | 53.3 | 41.9 |
| Overall Service Points Won % | 55.9 | 52.8 |
Watson would arguably start the better on paper but Shymanovich does have the edge in their head to head in Stamford, 2023.
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Playing Styles & Prediction
At her best, Watson can be a canny player and a tough opponent – she has worked hard on developing a more aggressive style in her game but can just as easily switch to a more defensive game to make her opponent run for that extra ball. She also comes on cold where Shymanovich has picked up a couple of wins in qualifying which might make her a little more battle hardened to the green-grey clay.
Shymanovich’s win over Watson came when she was playing far better tennis than she is of late and has dropped out of the top 200. But rankings and stats rarely factor into a Watson roller-coaster. On paper this could be her first Charleston win, but it will invariably be a battle.
Prediction: Watson in three sets.
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