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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WIMBLEDON

July 3, 2017

Heather Watson

Wimbledon, London, England

H. WATSON/M. Zanevska

6-1, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you talk us through the match. Took a while to close it out.
HEATHER WATSON: Yeah, well, first I'm happy to get through the first round. First rounds are always tough. I'd never played Maryna before. I wasn't really sure. Like, you can watch as many videos as you want, but it's different being out there on the court against them.

I felt I got off to a great start. I felt very solid. In the second set, I felt the same. I just felt that she served extremely well in that second set, especially on the deuce side she hit a lot of aces down the T. Then that game at 5-4, you know, I thought I served very well. She just made me play the extra ball. It didn't go my way.

But I was pleased with how I hung in there and was able to close it out in the end.

Q. Were you pleased to hear the crowd getting behind you in that tiebreak?
HEATHER WATSON: Yeah, absolutely. Having the crowd behind me is always a great feeling. It definitely helps and it keeps me in a positive frame of mind. It made me enjoy it a lot more.

Q. Do you feel you actually got a bit tight in the second set? Had you gotten nervous at all?
HEATHER WATSON: Yeah, of course I got a little bit nervous. I also think that she raised her level, especially from the beginning of the match till the end. I thought she was playing her best tennis at the end when it was important.

Q. What will you be concentrating on ahead of your round two match? Anything you learnt from today's victory?
HEATHER WATSON: I just want to keep focusing on doing the right things, keep coming to the net. I didn't come to the net as much as I liked today. That's what I felt like I've been doing really well the last couple of weeks.

So in my practice tomorrow, I'm just going to focus on that. I still want to play a lot more points, even though I played a lot recently. I feel like that's what I need, so that's what I'm going to do tomorrow.

Q. Do you feel in the last few weeks, months, your career has started to move back in the right direction? Also, can I ask, have you been on Twitter since this match has finished?
HEATHER WATSON: No, I haven't. I hardly have even been on my phone.

But definitely I feel there's been a change the last couple months. I feel more settled. I have my coaching team sorted out now, and I'm happy with it. I feel that because of that I've had structure in my practices. I've just been enjoying my tennis a lot more.

I have been putting in the work. I said a few weeks ago that I feel like a run is bound to come soon. I feel confident in my game, that I'm playing well, that it will click soon. I just keep believing in that.

I felt like last week it really did. I just want to make the most of my confidence now and keep the momentum going.

Q. With social media and things like Twitter, is it something you feel you have to be engaged with? Do you feel you need to market yourself with, or do you feel like you can abandon it?
HEATHER WATSON: Not really. I don't overthink it really. It's great for knowing what's going on, news, all of that.

Was there a reason why you asked if I've been on Twitter?

Q. You said when you lost last year, you went on Twitter and got a lot of abuse.
HEATHER WATSON: No, I don't really think about it. I feel like everybody's got it now, so you're not really with it if you don't. It's just keeping in touch with, like, where society is kind of going. It's a huge part of the way we live our lives. When things happen, lots of people take videos and post it just to let the rest of the world know what's going on.

I think it can be fun. It can be hurtful. It can be many things.

But, no, I didn't go on Twitter. It's not a priority of mine.

Q. You have Sevastova next. You played a long time ago. Do you remember much of that match?
HEATHER WATSON: I do remember.

Q. Both of you have gone up and down in your careers.
HEATHER WATSON: I didn't know I played her. She's won, is it her first WTA title? No. She won a title recently in Mallorca, I think. So she's playing really well on the grass. She's a tough opponent.

Like you said, I played her a long time ago, so that's not much to go off.

But I look forward to playing her next. I played her just in doubles the other week. Again, that won't help (smiling).

Q. Does that help at all?
HEATHER WATSON: No, not really. Not on the doubles court.

Q. How much of a boost is it to have so many Britons playing today? Do you get a chance to watch what's going on with the others, the men as well, noticing how Aljaz is playing at the moment a very tight match?
HEATHER WATSON: Who is playing?

Q. Aljaz.
HEATHER WATSON: When I was playing my match, I saw his name come up on the board.

But, yeah, it's very positive that so many Brits were playing today. Was it seven? And I wasn't able to watch a lot. I was playing at the same time as Jo and Naomi. I didn't get to see any of theirs. I saw a bit of Laura's this morning before I went onto practice.

Yeah, it's very positive. The more the merrier.

Q. What is it about Wimbledon in particular that brings the best out in you?
HEATHER WATSON: I mean, I just love it here. I love being here. I think it's obvious. I always want to do well. If there's one tournament that I could pick to win, it would be this one. And just the atmosphere, being at home, on the grass, which is one of my favorite surfaces.

It's the most famous tournament in the world. It's amazing to be a part of. I always want to just do well here.

Q. Can you remember a time when you were playing better on grass?
HEATHER WATSON: I feel like the grass for me always takes a few weeks to get used to it, then I start playing really well on it, which is the same for every surface really with me.

But especially last week is some of the best tennis I've played in a long time.

Q. Obviously with that extra British support here at Wimbledon, it gives you that boost. Does it also add a heightened pressure playing in front of a home crowd? How do you deal with that added pressure?
HEATHER WATSON: Yeah, definitely. It definitely adds extra pressure. But it's also extra motivation, so it kind of balances out. And it's exciting, all the emotions. Win or lose, like I said, it's amazing just to be a part of. Even though it is stressful, it's all worth it when you come off the court as a winner.

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