Hamstrung Heather is set to decide whether to play on
HEATHER Watson will decide whether to defy doctors’ orders and continue her Rothesay Open campaign in Nottingham with a possible second-round match against Emma Raducanu.
The 30-year-old suffered a hamstring injury in her first-round clash with American Katie Volynets but did not listen to medical advice and carried on to win 6-4 6-2.
Watson will play US Open champion Raducanu if the British number one can beat Viktorija Golubic today, but she does not know whether she will be fit enough to compete.
“It doesn’t matter who I am playing, I have just got to do what is best for me and the rest of this grass-court season because it is my favourite time of the year,” she said.
“I have to be smart. When the physio came on she didn’t want me to continue, but I had to give it a try at least. Even now I am being advised not to play because I could miss the rest of the grass season and I am not someone who gets injured a lot so this is extra frustrating.”
There was more British success on the opening day as Harriet Dart beat 2017 champion Donna Vekic.
The British number three, who has slipped out of the top 100 after a poor clay-court campaign, triumphed 6-4 6-3.
Katie Boulter, making her way back from injury, qualified for the main draw by beating Maddison Inglis 3-6 6-2 6-3 and she was joined by fellow Briton Yuriko Miyazaki, who got the better of Astra Sharma 2-3 6-2 6-0.
Brummie British number two Dan Evans began the defence of his ATP Tour Challenger title with a 7-5 7-6 (3) win over Enzo Couacaud.