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WIMBLEDONJune 27, 2012Heather WatsonLONDON, ENGLAND H. WATSON/J. Hampton THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. What pleased you most about today? HEATHER WATSON: Uhm, I was pleased with how I started the match. I wanted to come on playing well from the first point and not give anything away. That's what I did. I think Jamie started a bit slower, but really picked up her game in the second set. It was a real battle in that second set physically and mentally. Q. Were you conscious of the crowd in the second set or do you try to shut it out or use it? HEATHER WATSON: I use it. I love when the crowd bring a lot of energy and they clap. It gets me quite pumped and really motivated to win. Q. You said in your little interview just off court about what you were telling yourself when you were serving for the match that you shouldn't normally. HEATHER WATSON: Yeah, you're not supposed to not say it, but for me it helps. I'm going to try to do anything but that, because I did the previous point and I wasn't thinking not to double‑fault that point. I though, I'm just going to serve, stay relaxed. Honestly, I wasn't nervous when I double‑faulted, I just double‑faulted. The second point, I was a bit more nervous on my third match point. Q. You were here last year after you lost with your injury. You were in tears afterwards. Can you describe how big the difference between that feeling and what you're feeling now. HEATHER WATSON: Last year I was probably feeling down like that, and right now I'm feeling pretty good. It was tough last year because I was winning the match and then I got injured early in the second set. I'm pretty ‑ touch wood ‑ at not getting injured. I stay injury‑free quite a lot. I look after myself. So it was horrible for me, for basically my main tournament of the year, for that to happen. It wasn't great. But it's turned out for the better this year. Q. How aware were you today that you were the first British girl to win a match on Centre Court, and today you're the first British girl to get through to the third round for ten years? HEATHER WATSON: I was completely unaware. I don't really look or think about things like that. I just focus on myself and my next match. But as soon as I come off the court, everybody seems to let me know all the previous stats. I've been told about five times already (smiling). Q. You said you had trouble sleeping after your first‑round win. Plans to avoid the same problem tonight? HEATHER WATSON: Actually last night wasn't great either. This whole week have been sleeping pretty bad. But if I keep playing like this, I don't really mind. Q. What happened in that second set? You went 2‑Love up, and then suddenly she came back at you. Did you lose your rhythm a bit? HEATHER WATSON: Well, I started off good, playing well in the first set, and in the second set I was prepared for her to step up her game because I know she can play better than she did. In the first set she was giving me a few free points. Jamie is a great player. She hits the ball very hard. She got me more on the back foot. In the first set I was dictating play more. She was playing the big points well and making life quite tough for me. Q.  After you won the match and you were standing there, what were the initial thoughts going through your head? HEATHER WATSON: Well, the first‑‑ as soon as that last point is over for me, it's kind of like an explosion of happiness, relief of the match, all that tension's kind of gone and it's setting in. I just love when the crowd is so loud at the end. It's an amazing feeling. That's why I play tennis, is for those moments. Q. What is the biggest difference this year getting through to the third round compared to your previous campaigns at Wimbledon? What's changed about your game? HEATHER WATSON: Well, I've been known as kind of a counter‑puncher, you know, good at moving and reading the game well, and I wanted to get to the next step, improve my game. If you want to get to the next level, you have to change things. I've been working with my coach and Nick at the back there at being more aggressive, coming to the net. I can volley. I love to volley. Probably volleyed once today and missed it. I've been working on being more aggressive. And especially on the grass, you have to be. Q. Have you adopted any superstitions this week or recently? HEATHER WATSON: I've been having eggs and smoked salmon for breakfast every morning. When I get my towel at the change of ends, when we change ends, I run up to pass my ball boy the towel. Just those two. Q. On toast? HEATHER WATSON: No. Toast on the side (smiling). Q. Looking ahead, might not be Radwanska in round three, but it could be. How would you approach that? HEATHER WATSON: I didn't know that. I hadn't looked at the draw yet. Today I was just focused on this match. I will be focusing on my next match now, who could possibly be Radwanska. You know, I'm going to prepare myself, do some homework, and get ready for that match. Q. Is it exciting or terrifying? HEATHER WATSON: Oh, definitely not terrifying. It's exciting. I'm looking forward to it. I'm in the third round now. You know, I'm relaxed about it, as well. Q. You seemed very pleased about the state of your game. How much more is there to come from you sort of in what you hope to achieve in the game? HEATHER WATSON: Well, I always knew I could play this well, I could get far in these tournaments, but it's different playing like that in practice than bringing it onto the match court at big occasions with pressure. So I'm just pleased that it's finally clicking for me. I'm still quite new to the tour. I've only been on it a few years now. I'm learning every day. I'm glad that finally I'm bringing what I've been doing in the practice to the match court. Q. The British public seem to have warmed to you. Do you hope to give them even more to cheer about later in the week? HEATHER WATSON: Of course. They're great. So much fun. I'd love to just keep winning for them. Q. You have a very Scottish‑sounding name. HEATHER WATSON: Yeah, I knew. I knew I had a Scottish name. But, yeah. Q. Do you know if there's any ancestry or anything like that? HEATHER WATSON: Well, my dad is from Manchester and my mom is from Papua New Guinea, so no. Q. Gilles Simon has come out and said he thinks there shouldn't be equal prize money for men and women in slams. Wondering what your opinions on that are? HEATHER WATSON: Oh, I haven't really thought about that. I don't really have much of an opinion on it. Whatever it is it is, I guess. Q. Just whether you thought you should be entitled to the same amount of prize money. HEATHER WATSON: I think it is tough for the guys, especially at Wimbledon because it's five sets. At all the other tournaments it should be the same. We play the same amount of sets and have to work just as hard. Q. Is it good to have Judy watching? HEATHER WATSON: Judy is great. All the British girls are very close to her. She's always supporting us, coming out on our practice courts. She really does extra. She's there when she doesn't have to be. It's great to have her there supporting us. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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