Daniela Hantuchova v Heather Watson: Wimbledon 2015 – as it happened
British No1 Heather Watson beat Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 6-2 and could face Serena Williams in the next round
6.16pm BST
Apologies. A major technical issue meant that we were unable to bring you this live as planned. Heather Watson won 6-4, 6-2 and we will have a report up as soon as circumstances allow.
4.14pm BST
Ah no, our servers are required to take a breather. Apologies, apologies. Here’s an interlude, featuring our old golf correspondent:
4.13pm BST
First set: Hantuchová 1-1 Watson*
Some nice old-fashioned serve-and-volley stuff from Watson, who drops elegantly over the net, then flicks away Hantuchová’s return with a tight-angled volley. A very easy hold. Both players in energy-conservation mode right now. Energy conservation could be the theme of this blog, the state of our smouldering VIC-20.
4.11pm BST
First set: Hantuchová* 1-0 Watson (*denotes server)
So now I’m getting reports that our servers are still working, with no hard drives yet to be spotted fizzing down York Way towards Kings Cross like Catherine Wheels. So let’s give this a go. Sorry to mess you around. A fairly nondescript start to the match. Three baseline rallies, Hantuchová winning two of them. An easy enough hold. Court One is quiet, the heat taking its toll. And the Pimms no doubt. Hey, we’re judging nobody.
3.58pm BST
Ah, some more breaking news, which is not so good for this blog, just as Watson and Hantuchová make it to court. We’ve got some serious server issues, so I’ve just been informed. Perhaps a fuse has melted in the heat. Ah well, we’ve all been there, done that. But that means no updates for the next 45 minutes. Here’s hoping this goes to three sets. See you soon, and many apologies for this. Please hang in there with us...
3.55pm BST
Watson and Hantuchová should be out soon. Milos Raonic has just seen off Tommy Haas in a four-set thriller. He was cruising 6-0, 6-2, but the veteran Haas raised his game to take the third set on a tie-break, then forced another tie-break in the fourth. Alas for the 37-year-old trooper, Raonic stepped on the gas at that point, and the Canadian boomed his way through to the fourth round. That was a two-and-a-half hour shift in some heat.
2.55pm BST
While Andy Murray faffed around on Centre Court yesterday, the real great British performance of the day was staged out on Court 12. That’s where Heather Watson dug deep to save three match points at 4-5 in the final set against the No32 seed Caroline Garcia, after which Garcia’s serve crumbled, allowing the Guernsey player to close the match out 1-6, 6-3, 8-6. Here’s Jacob Steinberg’s report, all the way from SW19.
That magnificent victory’s earned Watson a shot at Daniela Hantuchová of Slovakia. At 32, it’s probably safe to say that Hantuchová’s singles career has promised more than it’s delivered. She once climbed as high as fifth in the world, but one semi-final appearance in the Australian Open is the best she’s got to show for all that effort. Still, swings and roundabouts: she’s one of only five female players to complete a career grand slam in the mixed doubles. When she looks back, she’ll sleep easily enough at night.
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