Both British representatives exited the Aegon Classic on Day 5. It was a disappointing day for Johanna Konta and Heather Watson, with both going out in the second round. Watson lost her respective match in straight sets 7-5 6-4 to Barbora Strycova, a good all-court player.
One of the elements to Heather Watson’s game that is still a work in progress is bringing the same high level of tennis into match play week after week. The title win in Monterrey stands out significantly this year; her last title win on the WTA tour came in Hobart over a year previous. Then following a dismal week in Indian Wells, she delivered a positive result in Miami where she lost in the Round of 16 to World No.5 Simona Halep.
Brits Konta and Watson exit the Aegon Classic on Day 5
Does Watson’s Olympic qualification work in her favour?
The main target set for Heather Watson at the beginning of the season was to qualify for the Rio Olympics. The British No.2 had her sights set on getting on the plane for a while and would have been bitterly disappointed had she missed out on such a goal of hers. But following the early round losses in Nottingham to Magdalena Rybarikova and now to Barbora Strycova, is there a reason to be fearful of the affects of her goals being reached?
In one aspect it can be argued that Watson knowing her main goal of the year is achieved could contribute to her loss of focus in the lead up tournaments before the Olympics. Watson seems like a character that gives her all no matter the situation or occasion. This will make it undeniably interesting to see her results at Wimbledon, and in the next few weeks coming into the Rio Games.
In the past in the women’s game it’s become a regular trend to see Grand Slam singles champions face an immediate slump following a breakthrough Grand Slam. The last female Grand Slam winner to avoid losing the first round of the following tournament was Victoria Azarenka, when she went on an impressive 16-match win streak upon winning the Australian Open in 2013. So Watson could be another player that feels the negative impact of achieving a goal from a mental standpoint and experiences a considerable slump, but on the other hand, Watson is one of the more level-headed players on the WTA.
Watson observes how the match played out against Strycova
After the conclusion of her straight sets loss, Watson felt the inconsistency to her game was part of the reason for her downfall today.
“It was a tough one. I knew it was going to be a tough one. I played her just a few weeks ago and she’s a very smart player and a good fighter. So I was prepared but I don’t think I dealt with the circumstances as well as she did. On the court we were on, I was getting distracted and I don’t think my focus was there today. The last few days, with the rain delays, has been a difficult experience. I thought I played okay today, I was just too inconsistent.”
Konta loses to former Birmingham finalist Wickmayer
Johanna Konta’s disappointing appearances at Edgbaston Priory Club continued this year. Two alarming developments is the realization that Konta has never won back-to-back matches at this event and, when looking at the bigger picture, Konta is the highest ranked player on the WTA never to win a singles title. That’s a significantly surprising fact given the vast improvements she has made in her own development in the past 24 months.
Her opponent Yanina Wickmayer played some inspired tennis in phases. The Belgian is a dangerous player when she is feeling particularly confident about her game. She possesses a fantastic aggressive backhand, which is fearsome when given the appropriate time to strike. Wickmayer finished the first set courtesy of a running forehand winner down the line that encouraged many to leave their seats in acknowledgement of what they had witnessed.
In the second set, Wickmayer demonstrated some of the negative qualities to her game as she had a break lead over Konta twice, but got broken back immediately. The third break that appeared through Konta missing a sitting forehand at the net, was enough to see Wickmayer reach her second WTA quarterfinal of 2016. Wickmayer was the much better player over the course of the match. She won comfortably 6-3 6-3 against the British No. 1 player.
Konta looked fondly over her matches on the grass so far:
“I’ve played four very good matches, so I’m really happy with the amount of time I have been able to get on the grass – obviously I’d always like to have more. However, I need to get used to players coming out and playing a better level against me and that’s inevitable as I climb the rankings. I’m just looking forward to the challenge, working hard and trying to do my best.”
The World No. 19 was excited at the prospect of playing a tournament close to home next week as she gets ready for her last tournament before Wimbledon.
“I’m very much looking forward to my next event in Eastbourne. It’s a home tournament for me, so I’ll enjoy spending some time there before Wimbledon and playing in front of a home crowd.”
Johanna Konta clinched some good wins last year in Eastbourne – beating Ekaterina Makarova and Garbine Muguruza before losing to eventual champion Belinda Bencic.
