Heather Watson was the final British woman to lose her first round match, following Melanie South, Elena Baltacha, Anne Keothavong, Katie O’Brien, and Laura Robson as the Brits combined to go 0-6 in the Ladies’ Singles at Wimbledon 2010.
Wimbledon: All British Women Lose In First Round
Watson (the 2009 US Open Junior Girls champion) was the most impressive of the six, playing exceptionally calm and poised tennis in her grand slam debut. She simply ran into an incredibly sharp player in qualifier Romina Oprandi, who used her experience and incredible consistency to make it into the second round.
While Watson impressed, Baltacha’s and Keothavong’s exits were both fairly disappointing. Baltacha was up a set on unheralded Petra Martic on Day 1, but fell in three sets. Keothavong came closer before choking, blowing a 4-0 lead in the third set during her loss to Anastasia Rodionova earlier on Day 2.
It’s only the second time in the Open Era that there are no British players in the second round of the Ladies’ Singles draw. The first was in 2003.
And since there were never any on the men’s side, Watson’s exit also represented the last departing English player in a singles draw.
With Jamie Baker losing on the men’s side, the only British player left in either draw now is No. 4 Andy Murray.
See More:
