Watson pessimistic on future for Brits
HEATHER WATSON gave a bleak assessment of the future of British tennis after making it a clean sweep of first- round singles exits at the French Open.
After just three days of the tournament, no British singles players remain, with Watson joining Andy Murray, Johanna Konta, Dan Evans, Cameron Norrie and Liam Broady by going down 7- 6 ( 4) 6- 4 to France’s Fiona Ferro.
It is the first time since the same tournament in 2013 that no British players have made the second round at a grand slam, and caps a disappointing year at the slams as a whole.
Watson said: “I feel like we’ve got a good little group of players right now, but little. I don’t really see who’s next. I don’t see who’s going to be top 50.
“I think personally that more players need to get help rather than just helping your selected players – I don’t know how many there are, but a handful of players.
“I feel like there needs to be a bigger pool of support. That way you’re not spoiled and not given everything at a young age. You need to work for it, learn the grind and the hard work of the tour, what it takes. It would give more people the opportunity.”
Meanwhile, Danish teenager Clara Tauson made her breakthrough on the big stage by knocking out US Open semi- finalist Jennifer Brady in the first round of the French Open.
The 17- year- old came through qualifying to reach the main draw of a grand slam for the first time and pulled off the result of the day with a 6- 4 3- 6 9- 7 win over 21st seed Brady.
Comparisons with Caroline Wozniacki are inevitable, and Tauson’s emergence comes nine months after the former world No. 1 called time on her career.
Tauson said: “Caroline was a huge role model for me. We come from Denmark, and that’s a very small tennis country. She made it out, and that made me think I could make it out also on the tour.
“We get compared a lot, but I am my own person.”