Heather Watson blasts her way to a first Grand Slam title. (Picture by PA Wire, 0840848)
THE father of Heather Watson has admitted that ‘everything is up in the air’ after her stunning victory in the US Junior Open.
Watson, 17, thrust herself onto the world stage when she beat Yana Buchina of Russia in the final of the girls’ singles event at Flushing Meadows on Sunday.
In the process, she became the first British girl to win the title and is now ranked third in the world junior list.
Today, the Sarnian is back at the famous Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, Florida, where she is a student.
She now has to deal with the added media attention and has to juggle her step up from junior tennis into the senior ranks while continuing her academic studies.
Her father, Ian Watson, has said he is not sure what her next tournament will be.
‘She’s got a schedule – there’s always one – but the tournaments she was going to do have changed,’ he said.
‘We don’t know what has been thrown into the mix but she will find getting wild cards a bit easier now. Until we’ve spoke to the LTA [the Lawn Tennis Association], we won’t have an updated schedule.’
Watson’s mother, Michelle, is due to meet with the bosses at the LTA soon when a new schedule will be drawn up.
At the moment, Watson is set to play in the qualifiers for the $50k Saguenay senior event in Canada at the weekend.
She had hoped to feature in the $75k AEGON Pro-Series event in Shrewsbury on 21 September, but failed to receive a wild card entry and will now miss that tournament.
However, she will be returning to the UK at the start of next month to enter a $50k competition in Barnstaple.
After this she flies back over the Atlantic and will take part in a couple of junior events.
Following her astounding US Open success, Watson’s world junior ranking leaped from 12 to three when the new list was released yesterday.
She may decide not to defend her title at the prestigious Yucatan World Cup in Mexico at the end of November but will definitely play in the Eddie Herr Junior Championships, which are held at Bollettieri. Last year she made the final.
Then comes the biggest junior event outside the Grand Slams, the Orange Bowl Championships, in December.
January sees the Australian Junior Open in Melbourne.
It is also hoped that she will a receive a wild card entry into the senior Australian Open and the same can be said for the French Open at the end of the May.
However, her best chance of receiving a wild card entry into the main draw of a Grand Slam will be at Wimbledon. Watson senior is remaining pragmatic.
‘I would have thought so [getting a wild card for Wimbledon] but a lot could happen between now and then,’ he said.
‘She could win a couple more tournaments and that might make her an automatic [selection] or she might get injured.’
Watson junior is already guaranteed a wild card entry into the senior US Open qualifiers, a year from now.
Her father though is not certain as to whether she will try and defend her junior US Open title as by then she would have finished her academic studies and taken the next step in her career.
‘She should have graduated by then and that will put her in good stead for the future,’ he said.
‘She’ll do three Grand Slams and maybe not the US Open because she’ll be on the next step and concentrating 100% on a full time professional career. That is when the results should come in. When she is concentrating on one thing.’
Article posted on 16th September, 2009 - 2.30pm
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