Watson loving life but Dart’s out in a huff

IN A match bisected by Love Island, four hours’ sleep and a double dose of caffeine gel, Heather Watson reached the third round at Wimbledon for the first time since 2017.

The 30-year-old Channel Islander was leading China’s Wang Qiang 7-5, 3-0 late on Wednesday night and all was well with the world. But as darkness enveloped Court 18 she failed to serve out the match and play was called off for the night at 7-5, 5-4.

Asked yesterday whether she turned to her beloved Love Island to decompress, she replied: ‘I actually did to wind down. I slept awful last night because during my match I had to take caffeine to keep up for it when we’re playing at 9pm.’ After all that Watson (right) came out yesterday afternoon — dosed up on caffeine again — and 14 points and eight minutes later had won 7-5, 6-4.

She has never reached the fourth round at a Grand Slam but has a chance against Slovenian world No 62 Kaja Juvan today.

‘I feel as I’ve gotten older my highs aren’t as high but my lows aren’t as low,’ she said. ‘I’m more levelheaded. Making my first third round, I was on top of the world. But I think it’s better being how I am now.’ The beaming Watson could not have cut a greater contrast to Harriet Dart as she lost 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 to No 8 seed Jessica Pegula. All British players are ‘at home’ at the All England Club but Dart is part of the family — her mother is a member.

This was Dart’s 12th match on grass this year and Pegula’s second, so an upset was on the cards, certainly after the Brit took a 4-1 lead. But Pegula, daughter of the billionaire owner of the Buffalo Bills, found her groove. Dart became frenetic as she rushed service games and took irate swipes at balls, her bag and the turf.

‘I was missing so many balls, playing pretty average,’ she said. ‘I was getting frustrated. It’s about finding solutions and today I didn’t.’