The tense all-British first round tussle in the New York “bubble” ended in favour of the British No 1 as Johanna Konta overcame an exhausting early challenge from Heather Watson, saving six set points in the first before winning 7-6 (7), 6-1 to reach the second round of the US Open.
Even after the roaring summer of the Battle of the Brits, where almost all of the best players in the country frequently competed against each other under one roof, it is still a rare sight for two Britons to face each other in grand slam tournaments. Circumstances made this a particularly curious moment for their fourth meeting.
Watson had entered lockdown in the midst of a career revival, having pulled herself back into the top 50 with her fourth WTA title in Acapulco, but she has struggled badly since the restart and is yet to win a match. Conversely, Konta lost her first three matches of 2020, but the time away has allowed her to properly address her knee injury and she has returned far stronger. Last week she tore through the Western & Southern Open draw to reach the semi-finals without dropping a set.
“It was always going to be inevitably a bit more stressful,” said Konta. “I think whenever you play a compatriot, there’s always an extra level of anxiety and stress for a number of different reasons. I was kinda anticipating that and I just wanted to put that to one side and enjoy playing a really good player, competing well.”
Even though the British rankings are quite irrelevant in a tour where millions of pounds and thousands of points are up for grabs, the energy is different when compatriots duel. Pride is always at stake. Watson immediately shed her woes of recent weeks and burst into the match, playing close to her limit. Her serve was uncharacteristically sharp and in the rallies she rooted herself to the baseline, crouching down to meet Konta’s heaviest strokes and refusing to be pushed back against one of the biggest hitters of the game.
Watson fired three aces in a single game to escape a mini-battle at 3-3. As Konta served for the set at 5-4, Watson banished the errors from her game as she pulled the match back on serve. In the tiebreak, it was the British No 2 who stepped up again, keeping her nose ahead, moving up 4-3 and then snapping two consecutive forehand down-the-line winners to bring up triple set point.
Although she did not show her best tennis, Konta underlined the confidence that is flowing through her after a brilliant week. Trailing 5-6 in the first set, she dug out a 15-40 deficit on her serve with help from a nervy netted routine backhand from Watson at 30-40. Down 3-6 in the tiebreak, Konta saved two set points with big serves before forcing a Watson backhand error with a quick move to the net.
On the sixth, Konta served an unreturned serve down the T. By the end of the set, Watson had served more aces than one of the biggest servers in the world, she matched Konta’s 16 winners with fewer errors. It was not enough.
Konta needed only one set point to take the set, and then she relaxed and rolled through an uneventful second set as Watson was unable to maintain her level. Konta will face Sorana Cirstea in the second round, while Watson will have ample time to reflect on two bitter records: she is now 0-10 at the US Open and 0-4 against her compatriot.
Away from New York, the former world No 6 Carla Suárez Navarro announced on social media she has been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma and will undergo six months of chemotherapy. The Spaniard, known as one of the most popular players on the tour, had been planning to finish her career this year before the virus.
“When we spoke a few days ago when she gave me the news, I was, I think, shocked, because I was expecting to see her in this tournament. You know, she’s such a nice woman, so sweet, so kind, so humble,” said Garbiñe Muguruza, a friend and frequent doubles partner of Suárez Navarro after her 6-4 6-4 win against Nao Hibino.
“I, for sure, will dedicate this win to her, because I want her to feel that we are behind her, that I am behind her, and I will go and see her at some point when it is fine.”
