Heather Watson ends 24-year British WTA title wait with Japan Open triumph

By Liu Shiwen

Heather Watson ends British WTA Title Drought

OSAKA, Japan (TheSportsNEXT) October 14, 2012: Heather Watson of Great Britain outlasted Kai-chen Chang of Taiwan by 7-5 5-7 7-6(4) in an epic thriller final of the Japan Open to put an end to her country’s 24-year-long wait for a WTA title.

Heather Watson achieved what her fellow countrywoman Laura Robson failed to do at Guangzhou Open last month and became only the first British woman to wear a WTA crown since Sara Gomer achieved the feat in 1988.

Heather Watson witnessed the two sides of the game during the hard-fought final which she started by winning the first set and then finding her on the ebb of losing the final with 5-4 down in the final set.

However, the Bollettieri-trained Heather Watson saved four match points at 5-4 in the third set to put her hands on the Japan Open 2012 title.

The world number 71 from Great Britain will get a major boost in WTA Tour Rankings which will be updated on Monday after her classy victory in the $220,000 Shanghai hardcourt event.

Since Sara Gomer’s WTA title triumph in 1988, Jo Durie was the only British woman player to qualify for the WTA event’s final in 1990 at Newport, which was well before either Laura Robson or Heather Watson came into this world.

Heather Watson told reporters, "It's just starting to sink in. I've worked so hard for this moment. That's why I practiced so hard, ran all those miles, lifted all those weights - for moments like this”.

Referring to Andy Murray’s inspirational London 2012 gold medal and US Open Grandl Slam title victory, Heather Watson said, “Britain has been breaking quite a few records recently. I'm happy I could break another one today. I'm proud to do this for my country."

Heather Watson, 20, had never before in her WTA career gone beyond the quarter-finals of a WTA tournament and she grabbed the opportunity with both hands when she eventually got the chance to play for the title.

On the other hand, Kai-chen Chang was looking to become the third Taiwanese woman tennis player ever to clinch a WTA title and she looked in great touch during the whole tournament after beating players like US Open champion Samantha Stosur in the semi-final.