Heather Watson should be going into the US Open on a wave of self-belief, with hopes of going deep into the first week, after her memorable performance against Serena Williams at Wimbledon. However, it has not quite worked out like that, and Judy Murray, her Federation Cup captain, thinks it is because she has yet to learn how to consistently tap into the “fighting spirit” and all-round court smarts.
Watson has a tough opening assignment against the American Lauren Davis, and Murray, who is here commentating for Sky Sports, said on Friday: “They are quite similar players. Heather’s been through a tough period since Wimbledon, where she had that opportunity to beat Serena, but I’m sure she will get back to winning ways.
“That happens with a lot of players, when you claim a big scalp, play on a big court, or win a big tournament. It’s the repeatability of it, being able to find that fighting spirit in every single match you play, on every single court that you play.
“With Heather, she’ll have a good win and then she’s off a little bit. It’s about being able to repeat that kind of performance, day in and day out, week in and week out, in order to get on top of your game and stay there. That’s the challenge for her.”
The mountain staring down at Laura Robson is a different one entirely. She is still in the early stages of her comeback after 17 months out with wrist and, latterly, thigh injuries and has a slightly easier draw early on, then it gets very difficult indeed.
Robson has what should be a difficult but not overwhelming task in the first round against the Russian Elena Vesnina and thereafter will look around her quarter of the draw at the possibility of meeting ninth seed Garbiñe Muguruza, 16th seed Sara Errani, the perplexing Australian Sam Stosur, not to mention the world No4, Caroline Wozniacki and the No5 Petra Kvitova.
Murray said: “We shouldn’t expect too much of her because she’s still on her way back to match fitness. It can take a long time – not just physical fitness, but it’s more about the mental fitness. That will come through matches.
“There was a very encouraging sign when she was 6-2, 5-3 up on Christina McHale recently. She didn’t manage to win [she lost 2-6, 7-6, 6-3], but she was in a winning position. That is the kind of thing that happens when you haven’t had any matches for such a long time.
“She’s closer to where she wants to be. She’s playing Vesnina, but if Laura’s on form and she hits a hot spot and find the confidence to finish it off if she gets into a winning position, then that’s not a bad opener.”
As for the state of women’s tennis in Britain, the mother of the nation’s best ever player – not to mention his excellent doubles-playing brother, Jamie – says: “We have a big opportunity to grow the game, as we have done for a number of years. The profile of the game has been higher since Andy won the Olympics and the US Open and Wimbledon.
“But, if ever we are to have a chance to become a strong women’s tennis nation, we need to have a lot more women working in the game and playing the game. It needs to be more attractive to little girls, in order to improve the numbers.
“We need to improve the quality and number of female coaches, because that is something that has been missing. I really do believe women will make things happen for women, because they are more inclined to, and also because they understand women better. It is a project in itself and I’d like to see that tackled, given the importance of it.”
Johanna Konta is among the rising - albeit delayed - hopes of the British game, and she excelled again on Friday, qualifying for the main draw by beating the German Tamir Paszek 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. Konta has not lost since Maria Sharapova beat her at Wimbledon and is in the right mood to extend her winning sequence to 14 matches in the first round against the American wildcard Louisa Chirico, who recently beat Watson.
There was no joy, though, for the other British woman in the third and last stage of qualifying. Naomi Broady would have hoped for more on Court 6 after a close first set but, the Estonian Anett Kontaveit held on to win 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-4.
The two remaining British men also went out. Kyle Edmund on Court 11 was the most disappointed, up 5-2 in the deciding set before Japan’s Oshihito Nishiokora ground out a 6-2, 0-6, 7-5 win. On Court 4, Bryden Klein played his former Australian compatriot Matthew Ebden for the first time, Ebden winning comfortably, 6-3, 6-3.
