HEATHER WATSON’S professional debut has been put on hold for the time being.
The 16-year-old Guernsey tennis star, who is based at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida, was due to play in the $25,000 Puebla Tournament in north Mexico beginning on the 17th of this month.
However, Watson is also down to take part in the ITF junior grade one event, the Yucatan World Cup, in the south of the country near Cancun, which starts on 24 November and it proved impossible to make both of the tournaments.
‘She’s concentrating on the juniors at the moment before Christmas,’ said her father, Ian Watson (pictured).
‘She was building up for it so I’m sure she’ll be a bit disappointed, but she had to cancel one of these, so it was obvious to cancel the first one.’
Her coach, Percy Melzi, said last month that he expected Watson to feature on the WTA tour next year.
But before then she has three other major junior events besides Yucatan to play in first.
On 1 December, she has another grade one event, the Eddie Herr International Junior Tennis Championships which is held at Bollettieri’s before the biggest tournament on the world junior circuit, the Dunlop Orange Bowl.
The Grade A competition gets underway on 7 December, also in Florida.
Then on 22 December, the Sarnian is expected to turn out in a second grade A competition, the 31st International Casablanca Junior Cup, back in Mexico.
Watson has also been buoyed by the news that she has two nominations in the 2008 LTA British tennis player awards.
In the female junior player of the year category she is up against Laura Robson, who at the age of 14, won Junior Wimbledon in July, Tara Moore, who defeated her in the final of the under-18’s Junior National Championships, and British wheelchair champion, Jordanne Whiley.
Watson and Moore along with Amy Askew formed the Great Britain under-16 tennis side that finished runners-up in the Junior Fed Cup in September, are up for team of the year.
‘Out of all the under-18 British players to be in this little bag is wonderful,’ said the player’s father.
‘I’m proud that she’s in the final few and to be nominated is a great honour. The girl is doing well.’
The public are deciding the winners via an online poll on the LTA website – www.lta.org.uk/News/All-news-items/2008-11-03/British-Tennis-Player-Awards-2008/.
Article posted on 8th November, 2008 - 9.29am
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