Bright future for some former powerhouse nations? - 4/4/2011

Date: 4/4/2011
Result: Charleston R1, Christina McHale def. Heather Watson, 5-7 6-3 7-6
Why it matters:
-Both these ladies have a lot of talent, and for each of their nations, wondering who the next great champion might be, McHale and Watson may represent the bright spots that the US and UK are looking for, respectively.
- McHale is the more intimidating player.  She's got the big serve, can pound returns, and looks to open up the court by firing forehands.  But she isn't a great mover. The first time I saw McHale was against Maria Sharapova at the US Open.  While her annoyingly bubbly teenage fan section sitting nearby may have taken away some of my enjoyment of the match, you could see that McHale needed to polish the elements, but had the elements.  She's done a good job improving (has wins over Kuznetsova and Petrova, to name a few), but needs to be grittier, more determined and believe in her shots at the right times. Winning a dogfight like this should help her improve.
- I first saw Watson playing on tv in Eastbourne in 2010, taking out Aleksandra Wozniak - she beat eventual Wimbledon semifinalist Tsevetana Pironkova in the qualifying there - and was impressed with her attitude and game.  She's had a very solid season so far for someone who is continuing to improve.  Yet she's the opposite of McHale in many ways.  She's got weapons, no doubt, but it's her fighting spirit that really sees her stick in many matches.  Like many players who win on emotion, she can let the negative creep in along with the positive, which can cost her in situations like the one she faced in Charleston.  However, her perspective is truly impressive.  Shortly afterwards, she tweeted "Learned A LOT today... now ready to hit the gym for a couple weeks !"  That kind of attitude can only spell good things for a player determined to improve.  While she's too young to do anything major at Wimbledon, I think the Brits would be pleased even if she won a round or two - assuming the pressure of the British media doesn't become to big too quickly for the young Watson.
Honorable Mentions:
- Houston R1, Grigor Dimitrov def. Rainer Schuettler - 60 62 - Dimitrov is the wave of the future (supposedly), and wins like this will make more people believers.  Schuettler, at his best, was one of the grittiest fighters on tour, and ground his way up to #5 in the world .  While Schuettler's best days are behind him, Dimitrov's win while dropping just 2 games is still impressive - it required a strong mental focus for the whole match against a former top player.  For someone as young as Dimitrov, that type of focus is never a bad sign.

- Marbella R1, Alexandra Dulgheru def. Anastasia Pivovarova - 76 67 75 - After her big run in Miami, Dulgheru apparently wasn't completely ready to transition back to clay courts.  But she competed well, as she always does, and came out on top.  Expect her to round into form quickly.  For Pivovarova, she's still on her way in the right direction.  Look for her to improve on her already solid performances over the last 12 months, especially during the clay season.