[Trey]

She leading the first set 5-1

[Ianto_Jones]

Heather leads 6-1 3-1. I wasn't expecting this kind of form from her. Surprising.

[Play_Suspended]

Don't speak too soon, as soon as I come and watch livescore she loses all 3 games and is now at 4-4. I'm leaving again xD...

[Ianto_Jones]

Heather.

[Kotre]

Originally Posted by Play_Suspended

Don't speak too soon, as soon as I come and watch livescore she loses all 3 games and is now at 4-4. I'm leaving again xD...

Make that the entire set. Morita takes it 7-5.

[Kotre]

Update, after a long game Morita broke Heather. Stick a fork in her, she's done. Morita's held to 15 both times I saw the outcome of her service games while taking Heather to deuce in hers, and forcing Heather to save break points repeatedly.

2-4*

[Dawson.]

And her poor year continues

[Play_Suspended]

Oh dear. Made worse by being 6-1 4-1 up. Def not going to look at the GM thread...

That's 0s for both IW and Miami on her ranking the whole year and she had 3R points to defend. She's in a real run atm of tense 3 setters but lsoing them all. Perhaps people are adjusting to her game? Doesn't sound like she played badly today, just had no answers for when Morita played well.

Guess we'll see if the clay has any answers. Charlston is next up, after doubles here of course.

[Joe.]

So predictable

Needs to learn to close matches out!

[Evans.]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/21851851

Apparently she's taking a break from tennis? So I don't think we will see her in Charleston.

I hope it helps.

[guichard]

Originally Posted by Evans.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/21851851

Apparently she's taking a break from tennis? So I don't think we will see her in Charleston.

I hope it helps.

David Law later said it may mean just a week of practice, she didn't want to elaborate





David Law of BBC
Re the idea of Watson taking a break, she wasn't elaborating, but may just mean a week of not practising. This event alone lasts 2 weeks
https://twitter.com/DavidLawTennis/s...53110736080896

[vaslav37]

Hopefully she will be back for Madrid and Rome- her ranking should get her direct acceptance into these two events.

[allracquetsports]

Heather says she is burnt out! Having won 3 matches since Christmas and regularly going out in the first round, heaven knows how she will cope if she ever wins 3 matches in a single tournament again.

Given the length of time between the early tournaments, if you lose in the 1st round you get 2 weeks off anyway so taking a break is not much different from carrying on, except that you don't get any match practice to focus the mind.

No amount of practice can prepare you for playing someone who actually wants to beat you, thereby doing the opposite of what happens in practice sessions, actually hitting the ball where you don't want it.

[Play_Suspended]

I think a lot of it is mental burnout...not physical. Trying to introduce changes into you game can be very mentally tiring, especially when you're losing to players you would previously have beaten.

From Hev's original comment I think this has kinda been blown out of proportion, she might miss charlston or something, but I expect she will be in Argentina for Fed cup.

[Kotre]

Eh, she won't be going anywhere, this is something she does on a semi-regular basis.