I lost to Serena, how can it be the time of my life, says Watson

Heather Watson feels like she is finally hitting some form. Picture: Getty

For one afternoon back in July, Heather Watson took Wimbledon by storm as she came within two points of beating Serena Williams on Centre Court and almost derailed the juggernaut of history that Williams is attempting to steer through this season as she tries to win the Grand Slam. But Watson lost. And losing is lousy.

“Everybody is asking me ‘was it the best time of my life?’ and I don’t really understand that,” she said on the eve of her opening match at the US Open. “When you watch the match back, 30-all I was serving to give myself match point, I hit a forehand that kind of wrong footed her and she just got it back. And I’m thinking if I’d hit it just a little bit harder then I could have had match point but then I wouldn’t have known, and the next point after that she played the next point too good and she’s so experienced and knows how to control her nerves and everything so well and that’s why she won. I’ve watched it once.”

Williams was full of praise for Watson after that match and thought that Britain’s No 1 should reassess her goals – she was, Williams thought, a potential top ten player. But since then, Watson has struggled on the hard courts of North America and this week is ranked No 61 in the world order.

“I haven’t played in the way I have wanted to since that match,” she said. “Right now I am really pleased with the way I am playing but I haven’t got the results I want. Yes it was a big match and I played well there but I haven’t really capitalised on it. Now I feel like I’m slowly starting to find my game and now I need to start winning.”

A win today against Lauren Davis, the world No 84 from America, would be a good starting point. The two have never played before although they have been practice partners in the past. Watson describes the American as a “nimble road runner, a hustler” so she knows she will have to be on her guard. But provided no one mentions Serena Williams and Wimbledon to her, Watson may just fancy her chances.