Watson’s ready for feisty battle
HeATHer WATSoN has called for a greater alignment of rules across men’s and women’s tennis to further erase some of the disparities that persist. The British No 2, who begins her Australian open tomorrow, is puzzled why the qualifying draw for women at three of the grand Slams is for just 96 entrants, smaller than the men’s 128. The US open is the only Slam that has equal sized qualifying draws. Wimbledon continues with the historical anomaly. She also wants to see consistency in the rules on coaching. regular tour events allow on-court coaching visits for players, but they are banned on the ATP Tour. ‘either we both have it, or we don’t. Just be equal,’ Watson said. There will be no on-court coaching at all in the next fortnight in Melbourne, which means that Watson will not be talking during matches with Colin Beecher, who has overseen a promising start to her season. Last week Watson won five consecutive matches when she qualified for the Hobart International and reached the semi-finals. The 25-year-old Channel Islander admitted that she, like many, is confused by the flux at the top of the women’s game. ‘Your top tenners, I couldn’t even name half of them because it changes all the time and I think that’s a really positive thing for the ones who aren’t up there.’ Watson agrees that there are a large number of women who can win in Melbourne, including Jo Konta, the British No 1, who starts against American Madison Brengle. ‘I think hardcourt is probably her best surface, and the conditions here just suit her game really well. It’s perfect for her,’ Watson said. Watson has a winnable first-round against Yulia Putintseva. ‘I’m sure it will be entertaining,’ said Watson. ‘She’s feisty. I know that it will definitely be a battle.’