MY ACCOUNT
Heather Watson praised Jule Niemeier’s “flawless” performance after seeing her best Wimbledon run ended by the German in a straight-sets last-16 reverse.
Watson was beaten 6-2 6-4 by Niemeier on the 100th anniversary of Centre Court’s opening, as the home favourite fell short of a first career grand slam quarter-final appearance.
Niemeier’s win set up a last-eight clash with compatriot Tatjana Maria, as two German female players reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in the same year for just the fifth time since 1987.
In her post-match news conference, Watson lauded her opponent’s display and said she will eventually look back on her run to the fourth round with pride.
“Immediately after walking off the court, I was obviously extremely disappointed. I’ve taken every match here as a big opportunity and managed to take advantage of it until today,” she said.
“But credit to my opponent. I felt like she played really well, especially in that first set. Very flawless tennis.
“She served big, which was a big difference today, I felt like I was always reacting to her ball. I was not on the front foot like I was in my other matches.
“It’s so soon after the match, I’m still deflated and disappointed, I saw today as a big opportunity and thought I would come through it.
“I’ve always felt good enough, I’ve won four WTA titles – that’s not easy. I know when I light it up I can beat anyone on my day, and tennis is so up and down.
“I’ll look back and be proud of myself for this week, but right now I’m disappointed.”
Niemeier became the fourth-youngest German woman to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals in the Open Era, with only Bettina Bunge, Steffi Graf and Sabine Lisicki doing so at a younger age.
The 22-year-old recognised the significance of winning on the day of Centre Court’s centenary celebrations, after the likes of Roger Federer and Billie Jean King spoke during a parade of former champions, and even apologised to fans for eliminating a home hopeful.
“I didn’t want to watch the show before the match because I was pretty nervous and I saw all the players, so I didn’t want to see it. But of course, it’s a special place, it’s one of the biggest courts on Tour,” she said.
“The court is so beautiful, and I feel honoured I had the chance to play on Centre Court.
“I just want to say sorry that I had to kick out a British player today!”
