Lauren Davis wins 7-6 7-6
“I’m really happy with how I played, it was an extremely tough match,” says Davis. She played well but how disappointing for Watson, who bows out at the first hurdle for the fifth time in a row. She may have won the girls tournament here but since entering the women’s competition has not won a single match. Davis will face the No13 seed Ekaterina Makarova in the second round. Thanks for reading. Bye!
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Davis wins the second set 7-6
Second set tiebreak: Watson 0-7 Davis* (6-7): Davis does it! Watson finds the net and that’s the match!
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Second set tiebreak: Watson* 0-6 Davis (6-7): Six match points for Davis thanks to a blistering forehand winner. Watson’s first serve has deserted her, and her second is so, so tame.
Second set tiebreak: Watson 0-5 Davis* (6-7): A forehand winner puts Davis in a very commanding position. Does Watson have anything left in the tank to fight back? I doubt it.
Second set tiebreak: Watson 0-4 Davis* (6-7): Watson falling apart now, missing a forehand.
Second set tiebreak: Watson* 0-3 Davis (6-7): Rally of the match! 28 shots! Both give it their all but Davis, having survived a couple of lobs with terrific returns, nails a forehand volley winner. She pumps her fist. That was a big point, you feel!
Second set tiebreak: Watson* 0-2 Davis (6-7): Watson duffs a forehand.
Second set tiebreak: Watson 0-1 Davis* (6-7): Davis hits a backhand winner on her second serve.
Second set: Watson* 6-6 Davis (6-7): Just after mentioning the gap in winners, Watson hits two beauties – the first a volley, the second a swish forehand – to give her a platform to force another tiebreak.
Second set: Watson 5-6 Davis* (6-7): The first two points go against the serve, giving Watson a chance of breaking back immediately once more, but, again, a determined Davis steps up when under a little pressure and she comes back to hold. Watson will serve to stay in the match.
Davis has had 35 unforced errors compared to Watson’s 31 but the American has eight more winners to her name (26-14).
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Second set: Watson 5-5 Davis* (6-7): Davis breaks back! Neither player willing to take control here, both suffering from a little bit of anxiousness and therefore not playing to their capabilities. Watson wins the first point but loses the following three and instead of serving out the set, she gives Davis three break points. “Fuck,” screams Watson at 15-40, prompting the TV commentator to apologise. She saves the first but an unforced error draws Davis back level again. “A horror game,” Annabel Croft calls it..
Second set: Watson 5-4 Davis* (6-7): Watson breaks! A glimpse of nervousness as Davis struggles badly on her serve – double faulting on the first point, a tame second serve allowing Watson the chance to hit a backhand winner, before another double fault gives Watson three break points. And, inexplicably, Davis double faults again! She has absolutely gifted that game to her opponent!
Second set: Watson* 4-4 Davis (6-7): Watson wins the first two points before Davis hits a tasty backhand winner and although Watson wins the next point in the blink of an eye they are at deuce. No need to panic though, she steadies and closes it out.
Second set: Watson 3-4 Davis* (6-7): Davis wins the game to love, finishing with a relatively ferocious forehand winner.
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Second set: Watson* 3-3 Davis* (6-7): Watson coming to the net a bit more frequently now, winning the first two points when pushing forward before a forced error from Davis makes it 40-0. The American wins a point back but Waston aces and we are level again!
Second set: Watson 2-3 Davis* (6-7): Watson breaks back! Davis has a pep in her step now, winning the first point with a forehand volley. Watson, however, displays some steel and aided by a double fault at 15-30 earns a pair of break points. Davis saves the first with an ace but goes too long with a forehand on the next point and the break is cancelled out.
Second set: Watson* 1-3 Davis (6-7): Davis breaks! Watson wins the first point but then loses four on the bounce in incredibly timid fashion, losing three of them through unforced errors on her forehand.
Second set: Watson 1-2 Davis* (6-7): Davis starts ominously – ace, winner – but they exchange points to 40-30 until Watson crashes a forehand into the net.
Second set: Watson* 1-1 Davis (6-7): Quite erratic from Watson, but she digs deep at 30-30 by forcing a couple of errors with Davis scrambling.
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Second set: Watson 0-1 Davis* (6-7): Three unforced errors from Watson is followed up by a Davis ace. That’s the first game in five to have gone to serve!
Davis wins the first set 7-6
First set tiebreak: Watson 3-7 Davis*: It has taken over an hour but Davis wins a tough, testing and tiring set having been 3-2 and three back points down before battling back and digging in. Exhausting stuff.
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First set tiebreak: Watson* 3-6 Davis: But Davis is on the brink now thanks to a wonderful forehand winner.
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First set tiebreak: Watson* 3-5 Davis: Watson gets back in with a shout courtesy of a forced error from Davis.
First set tiebreak: Watson 2-5 Davis*: Both are drawn to the net but a rally ends with Davis sending a backhand volley winner across Watson.
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First set tiebreak: Watson 2-4 Davis*: The final point before a change of ends goes the way of Davis. They’ll stop for a quick sip of their drinks before resuming.
First set tiebreak: Watson* 2-3 Davis: Watson forces Davis wide and pulls a point back.
First set tiebreak: Watson* 1-3 Davis: A definite advantage for the American now courtesy of a forehand winner.
First set tiebreak: Watson* 1-2 Davis: Davis repeats the trick!
First set tiebreak: Watson 1-1 Davis*: Davis replies with her second ace of the match.
First set tiebreak: Watson* 1-0 Davis: A confident backhand gives Watson the first point.
First set: Watson* 6-6 Davis (denotes server of previous game*): Davis wins the first point but slips on the second and does the splits when attempting to execute a crosscourt backhand. Watson wins the next two points, for two break points. She only needs one of those. A passing shot baffling Davis, who comes to the net but then volleys into it. Tiebreak!
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First set: Watson* 5-6 Davis (denotes server of previous game*): This is very cagey– nerves showing a little from both players. Watson wins the first point but double faults on the next and Davis puts the squeeze on to break. She will serve for the set for a second time!
First set: Watson 5-5 Davis* (denotes server of previous game*): Watson breaks back! Davis double faults on the first point. Hits a winner for 15-1-5 before forcing Watson into a pair of forehand mishits. She spurns two set points though, giving Watson a sniff of breaking back immediately. Not for long – Watson overhits on deuce giving another set point. But Davis cannot close, her forehand faltering. On deuce again, Watson wins a break point … and she takes it!
First set: Watson* 4-5 Davis (denotes server of previous game*): Davis breaks! Watson begins with an ace, but Davis responds well with a ferocity not seen up until now. Watson comes back at Davis hard to ace again for 40-30 but cannot close, giving Davis 40 against the serve for the first time in the match. A brilliant rally follows and Davis lands a stunning forehand down the line to earn a first break point and the American takes the point, forcing Watson into an error on her forehand! She will serve for the first set!
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First set: Watson 4-4 Davis* (denotes server of previous game*): That’s a more convincing service game from Davis. She even notches her first ace of the match, playing the angles perfectly for 40-0! Watson wins a point back but Davis draws level again.
First set: Watson* 4-3 Davis (denotes server of previous game*): Watson overcomes the disappointment of letting three break points slip in that previous game and holds without any bother. There is certainly a difference in comfort levels on their own serves – while Davis saved those break points, Watson has not given her opponent a sniff on her own serve.
First set: Watson 3-3 Davis* (denotes server of previous game*): Both gather their thoughts and have a sip of their energy drinks before resuming play, with a succession of lengthy rallies. Watson wins the first point with a tasty forehand winner. Davis meets the net to go 0-30 and then misses her target with a backhand. That gives Watson three break points. The first is spent by an overhit shot. Davis saves the second when coming to the net and smashing (the first time either have come in from the baseline). And she also saves the third by covering brilliantly at the net as Watson looked to pass across her. Watson’s ninth unforced error gives Davis advantage but she gets back to deuce. Davis digs in and gets a second advantage before Watson leaves a drop shot short and parity remains.
First set: Watson* 3-2 Davis (denotes server of previous game*): Watson defends well and eventually forces Davis in to pulling a forehand wide and right of the desired target following another decent game-opening rally. Two quick points go in the Briton’s favour before she holds to love after another aggressive rally.
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First set: Watson 2-2 Davis* (denotes server of previous game*): Both are strong on their backhands and after a lengthy rally for the opening point, Watson mishits a forehand. Another forced error on her forehand makes it 30-0 and although Watson wins the next point, Davis closes out the game.
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First set: Watson* 2-1 Davis (denotes server of previous game*): All going to serve so far. The only minor blip comes at 40-15 when Watson drives a forehand to the net. She responds with an ace, Davis challenges but the call is good.
First set: Watson 1-1 Davis* (denotes server of previous game*): Davis replies with ease, though appears irritated by her ponytail and at 40-0 heads to her chair to get something to tie it up. Hairdo fixed, she closes out the game comfortably.
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First set: Watson* 1-0 Davis (denotes server of previous game*): Watson serves and wins the first point rapidly. The second goes her way, too, after a dozen-shot rally. The first ace makes it 40-0 and though Davis wins the next point, the first game goes to serve. Solid start.
The biggest difference between these two could be the serve; Watson’s, while not exactly massive, is a level above Davis, who has only managed 22 aces all year according to Annabel Croft. If the British No1 achieves a consistency that often evades her, she should get through here. The court is more than half empty, but the conditions are perfect and the warm-ups are reaching their conclusion. We are moments away!
Watson arrived on court with headphones on – any guesses what her favoured pre-match pump-up tunes are?
The players have emerged on to court and are warming up. Unfortunately, I’m waiting on live pictures. They are imminent.
Sky Sports are building up to their live coverage by showing highlights of Andy Murray’s 2012 victory over Novak Djokovic. An absolute classic.
Hello!
Good evening/morning depending on where you’re reading from and welcome to this opening chapter of a fortnight of drama. We have to wait a little longer for the No1 seeds in both the men’s and women’s singles to get going – Novak Djokovic v João Souza is third on Arthur Ashe, Serena Williams v Vitalia Diatchenko open the night session – so our initial attention turns to Court 17 where the 21-year-old American Lauren Davis faces the British No1, Heather Watson.
Since taking Williams to the wire on that memorable Friday evening at Wimbledon, Watson’s form has been off, losing in the first round in Washington, the second in Toronto and bowing out in the qualifiers at Cincinnati . “I haven’t played in the way I have wanted to since that match,” Watson says. “Right now I am really pleased with the way I am playing but I haven’t got the results I want. Yes, it was a big match and I played well there but I haven’t capitalised on it. I was close but at the end of the day I didn’t do it, did I?”
Davis, the world No84, was recently skewered by Victoria Azarenka in Cincinnati and her run-up has been similarly blotchy. They have never met competitively but used to practice together. “She’s quite small and a very good mover, a nimble road-runner, a hustler,” Watson says of Davis. So I will have to be aggressive and confident with my shots.”
The winner will face Teliana Pereira of Brazil or the No13 seed Ekaterina Makarova in the second round. Play is scheduled to start at 4pm BST, or 11am ET.
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