HEATHER’S GOT JAMIE IN SIGHTS
HEATHER WATSON is ready to give her Wimbledon campaign one last big push when she faces fellow Brit Jamie Murray in today’s mixed doubles final. The British No.2 will bounce back into the world’s top 100 tomorrow and feels the grass-court stretch has provided the boost her career desperately needed. But 25-year-old Watson is making no secret of her growing fatigue after playing six weeks back-to-back.
She enjoyed strong singles runs in Surbiton and Eastbourne – and can cap her hot streak with a successful defence of her Wimbledon mixed title, alongside Finland’s Henri Kontinen.
Watson said: “Over the last few weeks, in this grass-court season in general, my singles career has started to take off and I’ve won a lot of matches.
“I’m really happy my ranking’s started to go up again and after we play the final on Sunday I’ll get a bit of time off, because I’ve been playing every week.
“I think it’s paid off but I’m a bit tired now.”
On her doubles partner, Kontinen, Watson said: “I find Henri so enjoyable to play with. We have a great time out there. Even if I miss a simple ball or don’t put away a volley, he’s so supportive.”
Standing in the way of Watson and Kontinen is the new partnership of Jamie Murray and Martina Hingis, the 22-time Grand Slam champion who won her first Wimbledon 21 years ago – in the women’s doubles with Helena Sukova.
It will be the first final between opposing British players since the 1961 women’s singles, when Angela Mortimer beat Christine Truman.
Jamie Murray hopes to win the mixed doubles for a second time, after victory with Jelena Jankovic 10 years ago.
“I’d only just started on the main tour and we ended up winning,” he recalled. “I’d never played mixed doubles before.”