French Open: Heather Watson knocked out by Svetlana Kuznetsova to complete miserable week for British women

Watson was defeated 6-1, 6-3 by Russia's Kuznetsova

A downbeat Heather Watson leaves the court (Getty )

The four British women in the main draw promised much here at the French Open but in the end they had just one win to show between them. Heather Watson, who had beaten Nicole Gibbs in the first round, went out of the tournament when she was beaten 6-1, 6-3 by Svetlana Kuznetsova.

There was certainly no shame in losing to one of the game’s most experienced campaigners and Watson gave credit to her Russian opponent for playing “a lot better than me”.

Kuznetsova struck the ball consistently well and her return of serve was particularly damaging. Watson, who was constantly forced on to the back foot, held serve only twice in the match.

This is 30-year-old Kuznetsova’s 14th consecutive appearance in the main draw here. She won the title in 2009, was runner-up in 2006, a semi-finalist in 2008 and a quarter-finalist on four other occasions. Although not quite the force she was, the world No 15 is still a formidable ball-striker and competitor.

Watson’s struggles on her serve put her on the back foot from the start. The only game she won in the first set, which lasted just 30 minutes, was on Kuznetsova’s serve.

The second set started more promisingly for the 24-year-old Briton as Kuznetsova double-faulted on break point in the opening game, but once again Watson paid for failing to capitalise as the Russian broke back immediately.


 Svetlana Kuznetsova reacts after winning a point aganist Watson 
 (Getty)

At the sixth attempt Watson finally held serve to level at 2-2, but normal service was resumed when Kuznetsova broke again and then went 5-2 up. Watson, to her credit, held once more to stay in the match before Kuznetsova served out for victory after just 72 minutes.

“I thought my opponent just played a lot better than me,” Watson said afterwards. “She played really well. In the first set I thought she was pretty flawless. In the second set I had a couple chances here and there to get even, to get back in there, but she just played really well on the important points.

“I remember at 4-2, to win that game she hit a backhand behind the baseline on the run down the line. There wasn’t much I could do. I fought the whole way through and tried. I think she also tactically played me smart. I didn’t get chances to run around and hit my forehand. She was just keeping it on my backhand consistently.

“I tried different things – drop shots and a few lobs. The lobs definitely didn’t work. The drop shots did but I didn’t get an opportunity to hit them.”

It has, nevertheless, been a fair clay-court campaign for Watson, who has almost certainly achieved her goal of securing a place at the Olympic Games this summer. The field for Rio is decided by the world rankings at the end of this tournament. After successfully defending the points she won here last year Watson should stay around her present position of No 56, which would be good enough to qualify.