Nottingham Open 2023 results: Britain's Heather Watson beats Jule Niemeier
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British number six Heather Watson has won four career singles titles on the WTA Tour - most recently at Acapulco in 2020
Britain's Heather Watson feels "a little bit hard done by" because of the effect not getting ranking points at Wimbledon last year has had on her.
Watson's career-best run to the fourth round of a Grand Slam would usually have propelled her up the rankings.
It would also have earned direct entry into other WTA tournaments, including majors. Instead, she has been competing on the second-tier ITF circuit.
"It just had a domino effect," she said after winning in Nottingham on Monday.
The women's WTA and men's ATP governing bodies did not award points in response to Wimbledon's decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players because of the invasion of Ukraine.
"It wasn't Wimbledon's fault, it wasn't their choice but yeah, I do feel a little bit hard done by," the 31-year-old added after beating Germany's Jule Niemeier 6-4 6-3 in the first round.
Ranked 195 in the world, Watson has not played in a Grand Slam main draw since Wimbledon, failing to make it through the qualifying rounds at the US, Australian and French Opens.
"I feel like that after Wimbledon I went from an all-time high in my career and then not being awarded any points there really affected my tournament entries," she said.
"I couldn't get into WTA tournaments so I was playing ITFs and I was winning them all but the points are rubbish so it doesn't help my ranking at all.
"Rankings-wise it has been a real rubbish year but I have actually won more matches."
She will need a wildcard to get direct entry into Wimbledon this year - which she says she has applied for - and if she does not get one she would need to come through three rounds of qualifying before the main draw starts on 3 July.
Against Niemeier on Monday's opening day at the grass-court event in Nottingham, Watson won five successive games as she battled back from 4-1 behind to rescue the opening set.
She then closed out impressively in set two, winning five of the final six games against 23-year-old Niemeier, who was a Wimbledon quarter-finalist last year.
Top seed Maria Sakkari also began her campaign with a straight-set win.
The Greek world number eight eventually took her fifth match point to edge a second-set tie-break against China's Wang Xiyu and prevail 6-2 7-6 (8-6).
There were also victories for Germany's 2022 Wimbledon semi-finalist Tatjana Maria and Australian Open quarter-finalist Donna Vekic.
Maria beat China's Zhang Shuai 6-1 6-4 to set up a second-round meeting with Watson, while Croatia's Vekic won 6-2 4-6 6-1 against Spain's Cristina Bucsa.
However, 21-year-old British qualifier Sonay Kartal was beaten 6-3 5-7 6-2 by Poland's Magdalena Frech.
In the men's draw at the grass-court tournament, Britons Arthur Fery, Ryan Peniston and George Loffhagen were also scheduled to compete on Monday before play was suspended because of rain.
Fery was tied at one set apiece against 2016 champion Steve Johnson - the American ahead with the third set on serve, leading 6-4 3-6 2-1.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray has taken a wildcard entry following his Surbiton Trophy victory on Sunday, while Dan Evans, Liam Broady and Jan Choinski are also competing.
New British number one Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart, Jodie Burrage, Katie Swan and Emily Appleton join Watson in the women's event.
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