The final analysis
Heather Watson’s dream start is Sam Stosur’s nightmare today. While the Australian grabs her kit and nicks off Watson hangs around to whoop it up and sign a few autographs, and well she might after that third-set demolition. It fell away very quickly for Stosur.
The Australian hit 35 winners to Watson’s 21 but also 47 unforced errors to 23, erring so often when the heat was on. Winning only 55% of her points on first serve certainly didn’t help either. She briefly stirred in the second set, which she claimed 6-3, but it was one-way traffic in the third and she couldn’t wait to get off the court in the end. On an energy-sapping 36-degree Melbourne afternoon she’s been turfed from her home slam.
That’s all from me, but thanks for following along. Heather Watson is through to the second round of the Australian Open and will face either American Jennifer Brady or Belgium’s Maryna Zanevska. Here’s Kevin Mitchell’s match report:
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Heather Watson knocks Sam Stosur out of the Australian Open!
3rd set: Heather Watson defeats Sam Stosur 6-3, 3-6, 6-0
With one final break of serve, Sam Stosur is done for and Heather Watson has progressed to the second round with a convincing disposal of the Aussie. Stosur managed thre crashing forehand winners in the last game to lead that count 21-7, but she’s endured a nightmare third set otherwise and concedes the break, set and match with another unforced error.
This 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 victory is a huge boost for the Brit, who progressed to the second round and sends a local hope crashing to a quite dispiriting defeat. I’ll be back soon with more stats, but the final set scoreline says much.
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3rd set: *Sam Stosur 0-5 Heather Watson (*denotes next server)
Watson played a delightful lob in Stosur’s last service game and lets fly another here to go up 15-0, but with an unlucky net roll that’s soon 15-30. She regroups well enough and Stosur nets to hand her game point. The Brit continues to struggle on her first serve but eventually holds. She’ll prevail here.
Watson breaks again!
3rd set: Sam Stosur 0-4 Heather Watson* (*denotes next server)
The other thing Heather Watson has going for her is 20:20 vision, it seems. Stosur appears to fire down an ace at the start of this game but the Brit reviews it on the suspicion it was long and indeed it is. She’s a little flustered otherwise but Stosur recovers to 30-0 before getting the rough end of a ragged rally, then transgressing with a double fault.
An artless forehand later and the Aussie is facing another break point, but pulls out a wondrous forehand winner to save it. Watson laughs, because it’s all she can do, but then unleashes a beauty of her own to win another break point. Stosur isn’t done and save both it and another, and again her service game is nothing short of an ordeal, so this match hits its two-hour mark. There’s also some real drama here when a line challenge goes horribly against Watson, and she’s right to be peeved because Stosur is given a replay rather than penalised for netting her return of the contentious shot. Finally, after the best part of 20 minutes, Watson breaks. She’s home and hosed.
3rd set: *Sam Stosur 0-3 Heather Watson (*denotes next server)
Earlier in this match Stosur was really wailing on herself but now there’s a kind of muted sense of resignation to her fate, I fear. At 30-15 on serve Watson forces her opponent to miscue again and Stosur cries a frustrated “Nooooo!” towards the heavens. It’s no cinch but Watson holds serve after yet another unforced error from the Aussie. That’s 40 to Watson’s 18.
Heather Watson breaks early in the third set!
3rd set: Sam Stosur 0-2 Heather Watson* (*denotes next server)
The saga continues. Having had Watson on the rack for much of the last service game but failing to break, Stosur now gives her opponent a significant opening on her own at 0-30. Watson thumps a backhand long, but Stosur does the same with a forehand to gift the Brit two break points early in the decider. Watson needs only one, playing a quite brilliant forehand down the line after a hell of a chase. She’s in the box seat now.
3rd set: *Sam Stosur 0-1 Heather Watson (*denotes next server)
New set, new mood for this match? Maybe. Stosur has a +9 differential for winners but also a +16 differential for unforced errors, and commits a few on this opening Watson service game, letting the Brit slip out to 40-15 before charging her way back into it with a pair of rallies in which she’s just brutalising her opponent. Watson has a chance to close it out but Stosur produces the shot of the match, charging to her right and sliding into a superb forehand winner down the line. Sheesh. It’s an epic struggle for her but Watson finall holds serve.
Sam Stosur takes the second set to level it!
2nd set: Sam Stosur 6-3 Heather Watson* (*denotes next server)
Sam Stosur is hauling herself back by the brink here in the first round of the Australian Open and takes this second set 6-3 in () minutes against Britain’s Heather Watson. In this game the Aussie benefitted from a few unforced errors from her opponent to bring up two set points, which she claims at the first attempt by slapping a cross-court forehand winner. It took her 54 minutes in this set but she’s back on level terms.
2nd set: *Sam Stosur 5-3 Heather Watson (*denotes next server)
Watson holds but it’s a close run thing. Her first serve continues to trouble her (53% now, but she does tend to win the point when she does nail it), but she’s going to make the local serve it out for the set.
2nd set: Sam Stosur 5-2 Heather Watson* (*denotes next server)
A good combination of Australian tennis superstar tics here by Stosur, who gives herself a Lleytonesque ‘come on’ at one point in this service game, then pulls out the old Pat Rafter finger blow a few serves later. ‘Sorry mate’ and a chequered headband can’t be far off. Anyway, she’s up against it in a long, gripping service game, giving up her first break point with a desperately unlucky net roll after a spirited rally. A colossal first serve saves the day but she’s forced to retrieve another few break points and it’s all very tense, so Watson slams her racket down in frustration. Finally Stosur seals it with an ace.
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2nd set: *Sam Stosur 4-2 Heather Watson (*denotes next server)
Watson has to be careful of the momentum change here, and moves to 30-0 with decent authority on her serve. Stosur is livid with herself when another mis-hit forehand flies out and she nets next point to hand a cheap service game to the Brit. It’s still the Australian’s set to lose but Watson is making her earn it.
2nd set: Sam Stosur 4-1 Heather Watson* (*denotes next server)
Stosur continues to serve well enough, but some of the rest is a bit shonky in this game; at one point she races in to the net for another easy put-away but botches it so badly you can hardly believe it. An ace sets up game point and she appears to have the better of a muscular rally before again mis-hitting a cross-court forehand to make it deuce.
That pattern keeps repeating, but she holds with a big ace. One other thing worth mentioning: it’s bloody hot in Melbourne today. Fine for me, sitting in the shade, but it’s 36 degrees celsius with not a hint of a breeze inside this arena.
2nd set: *Sam Stosur 3-1 Heather Watson (*denotes next server)
This is a tough one for Watson; if she forces Stosur into rallies she knows that unforced errors are a likelihood, but just as often she’s belting winners. The Brit controls this service game well, racing out to a 40-0 buffer before Stosur goes long with a backhand put-away, which had bobbed up off the net.
2nd set: Sam Stosur 3-0 Heather Watson* (*denotes next server)
I’ve no idea where this came from but Stosur is suddenly sizzling along, and Watson’s plight is given its best visual representation when she gets herself in a tangle trying to change direction, falling to her backside on the baseline. A couple of swipes later and and the Aussie leads 40-0, but falters twice in testing rallies to bring her opponent back into it. Eventually she holds, and the crowd is getting behind her a little more now.
Stosur breaks early in the second set!
2nd set: *Sam Stosur 2-0 Heather Watson (*denotes next server)
Now an opening for Stosur after Watson cracks a backhand long to make it deuce, and another fades wide across the court to hand the Australian a break point. Is this the start of a counter-punch? Watson hammers a very opportune ace but then a line challenge goes against her and she’s facing a break again. She nets! Stosur lives!
Other scores: Rafael Nadal leads Florian Mayer 6-3, 5-4. Dominika Cibulkova has taken the first set 7-5 against Denisa Allertova. Marcos Baghdatis leads Mikhail Youzhny 5-2 in the first. In other news: Marcos Baghdatis and Mikhail Youzhny are both still a thing.
2nd set: Sam Stosur 1-0 Heather Watson* (*denotes next server)
Margaret Court Arena is deathly quiet as Stosur serves to get the second set under way. She’s clubbing the ball about as usual and gives herself a determined “come on!” when she cracks a forehand winner to make it 30-15, but this isn’t going to plan so far for the local hope. She needs to forget about the first set altogether but can’t when she blasts another unforced error to make it deuce, then another when she had a chance to hold. Unforced error count: 16-6 against the Aussie. Stosur holds but it’s a battle.
Heather Watson takes the first set!
1st set: *Sam Stosur 3-6 Heather Watson (*denotes next server)
Now a mini-wobble for Watson, who goes from 30-0 to 30-30 with a couple of errant forehands, but Stosur nets a point later to hand her set point. She arches her back, rocks into her service motion and sends an ace straight down the middle! Can’t get much more authoritative than that. She’s taken the first set in 33 minutes and Sam Stosur is in all sorts of trouble in round one.
1st set: Sam Stosur 3-5 Heather Watson* (*denotes next server)
An interesting stat: Stosur is going at 87% with her first serve to Watson’s 52%, and still trails. Perhaps more telling is that the Australian leads the unforced error count 10-4 as this game gets under way. On serve she’s soon slapping her thigh at another misfire but stays relatively calm to serve hard and wide, then belts an ace straight down the middle to make it 40-15. An easy put-away volley at the net then goes awry. More murmurs. Watson nets in the next rally, so Stosur holds. “C’mooooon Sam!” cries one forlorn-sounding fan.
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1st set: *Sam Stosur 2-5 Heather Watson (*denotes next server)
Nothing is going right for Stosur at the moment and even her best groundstrokes are being sent back with interest, so she gives Watson a taste of her own medicine and charges the net with brief success. At 30-15 on her second serve, the Brit watches a forehand return sizzle past her. Brief murmurs. But Watson holds when another Stosur forehand flies long. Stosur takes a seat, straps on an ice vest and has a good hard think about it all. She’s in a spot of bother here.
Watson breaks again!
1st set: Sam Stosur 2-4 Heather Watson* (*denotes next server)
I’m rating this about a 6.7 on the Stosur wobble-meter now. Again she’s a bit of a mess on serve and despite one winner to lift he spirits, hands Watson two break points. The Australian nets to concede the first. Oh dear. It. Is. Happening.
1st set: *Sam Stosur 2-3 Heather Watson (*denotes next server)
Watson returns with a double fault but regathers herself to construct a smart little rally, at the end of which she puts away a volley at the net, adding the variety of an overhead smash a point later to reach a 30-15 buffer. Then a big first serve down the middle, which Stosur barely touches. Stosur nets to gift her the game. It’s currently very hard to predict the way this one is going to go.
Watson breaks back!
1st set: Sam Stosur 2-2 Heather Watson* (*denotes next server)
This is better from Watson, who goes on the attack now against Stosur’s serve and draws an error by working the angles. The Aussie soon clatters a big backhand winner down the line to stir her home crowd a little but misses a duplicate next up to make it 30-30. With an errant, off-balance forehand she’s suddenly offered up a a break point and concedes it with a wide backhand. Hmm. Now the wobble.
1st set: *Sam Stosur 2-1 Heather Watson (*denotes next server)
Watson’s seriously under the cosh here and comes off the worse from a baseline rally of quite brutal power, crying in frustration as she biffs another forehand out. Stosur nets a sliced backhand and then wallops an artless forehand long to make it 30-15 and allow her opponent to settle just a touch, but Watson then does the inexplicable and tries a drop shot from beyond the baseline when the situation demanded a cross-court forehand. It doesn’t clear the net. Against the tide she holds serve but it’s not exactly convincing.
1st set: Sam Stosur 2-0 Heather Watson* (*denotes next server)
Now an emphatic start to Stosur’s service game when she rifles a forehand metres past the reach of Watson for the winner. At 30-0 the Brit tries to fight fire with fire but her own attempted cross-court winner flies long and wide before Stosur holds with ease. I don’t want to speak too soon, but she means business today.
Stosur with an early break of serve
1st set: Sam Stosur* 1-0 Heather Watson (*denotes next server)
Watson gets us under way on serve and forces Stosur wide for a backhand error to start. The Aussie regroups quickly and is stroking the ball beautifully in a rally but cracks a forehand long to make it 30-0 for Watson. Stosur makes a move, sending Watson sprinting all over the court in an entertaining rally and lobbing her to draw level at 30-30. The break point is opened up a point later when Stosur gets everything behind an angled forehand and the Brit can’t retrieve it, and with another unforced error Stosur has the early break. Perfect start for her.
Elsewhere at Melbourne Park right now
Rafael Nadal leads Florian Mayer 5-2 in the first set on Rod Laver Arena, Serena Williams has just accounted for Belinda Bencic in a tough two-setter, Britain’s Kyle Edmund leads Santiago Giraldo 3-1 in the first, and Aussie Alex Bolt trails two sets to one against Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan.
Both players are out on court
Big cheers for Stosur, muffled clapping for Watson, who fares worse on the cheer-ometer than the chair umpire. That’s a bit rough. Watson wins the toss and elects to...hmm...it’s not quite clear yet. I’m sure there will be an announcement on that soon.
Heather Watson trivia
The Brit has won singles titles in some delightfully obscure locations as far as the pro tennis circuit goes, including Frinton, Monterrey and Wrexham. Residents of Frinton, Monterrey and Wrexham, please do not write in with abuse. Watson also attended the Nick Bollitieri Tennis Academy, which really should have been spun into a movie franchise if you ask me. A bit of make-up and Steve Guttenberg clearly could have played Bolletieri, too.
Preamble
Hello all and welcome to this round one Australian Open encounter between local veteran and world No21 Sam Stosur and Great Britain’s Heather Watson, who is currently 81 in the rankings but for all her undoubted potential, has never progressed beyond the third round of a grand slam. That’s also her best result in Melbourne – back in 2013.
What can we expect here? It’s a psychological drama, basically. Stosur could and should win it, but just as likely won’t. Her path to her home grand slam has been first round losses at Brisbane and Sydney. Not ideal. “I can’t change it,” the Australian said this week. “It is what it is. I’m not going into my first round freaking out that I haven’t had more than two matches.”
But then the minute she even utters the words “freaking out” we all start, well, freaking out on her behalf. Watson has lost to the Australian both times they’ve squared off, but knows she’s half a chance here.
In the meantime I’m watching the tailend of a match in which the utterly predictable has happened: Milos Raonic and his Johnny Lawrence headband have ruthlessly dispatched Dustin Brown 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in a little over 90 minutes. Can we test him to make sure he’s really a Canadian?
Russell will be here shortly. In the meantime, check out the latest on Alex De Minaur, who has proved something of a local sensation in the first two days of the Australian Open.
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