Heather Watson's Wimbledon singles adventure may be over but the first British woman to reach the third round since Elena Baltacha in 2002 has received a vote of confidence from former champion Lindsay Davenport.
The American, a former world No1 and winner of three Grand Slam titles, was sufficiently impressed by Watson’s play to predict the
20-year-old, currently world 103, is set to rocket up the rankings.
Davenport said: “I remember watching her last year and seeing her disappointment at not getting through [Watson fell in the first round to Mathilde Johansson]. She had an arm injury and it was a really devastating loss.
“But I’ve seen her playing again this year and Heather looked more composed on court and she was playing the points a lot smarter.
“Getting to the third round this time was a huge step. It is all about progression. It will get her ranking much higher, so she can get into more main draws and get more ranking points. I would be surprised if we got here again in 12 months’ time and she was not in the top 50 or 60.”