I think Heather Watson was well below par in the match. Match statistics show:

The % pts won on first and second serves were low. Also her serving speeds were significantly lowere than Sloane Stephens. She was suffering from some form of shoulder injury but said that wasn't the cause. She's raking a few days rest to get over the shoulder injury before starting her preparations for the grass court season.

Interesting news that the missing man from tennis - Robin Soderling - is hoping to return to competitive tennis next year after a 5 year absence. His absence was caused by glandular fever which is what caused Heather Watson's absence in 2013.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/32944718

The Aegon Open tournament at Nottingham starts on Monday. It had been hoped that Heather Watson would be playing but she has been advised by her doctors to continue to rest her elbow and has withdrawn. She says " I will be doing everything in my power to make sure I return as soon as possible because I love the British summer grass and playing at home.”

Wildcards to the main draw have been given to Johanna Konta and Katy Dunne. Sarah Beth Askew has a wild card to the qualifying rounds.

Laura Robson had hoped to return to competitive tennis at Notthingham but suffered a hamstring injury in training. It's possible she may go for the Aegon Classic in Birmingham in the following week getting a wildcard and choosing to play in the qualifying rounds to get some match practice. If she can't make it, that just leaves Eastbourne before Wimbledon.

Due to other players' results, Heather Watson's ranking has remained at 45 though only just.

Britain's number two Johanna Konta is through to the second round of the Nottingham Open after beating Magdalena Rybarikova in straight sets.

The 24-year-old, ranked 147 in the world, won 6-3 6-3 against the Slovakian, who is 88 places higher.

"I was expecting a tough match and that's what it was," said Konta. "I was just taking it one point at a time and trying my best."

Top seed Agnieszka Radwanska beat Russia's Alla Kudryavtseva 6-0 6-3.

Konta, who qualified for the French Open before losing to Denisa Allertova of the Czech Republic in the first round, has made it to the semi-finals in Nottingham for the last two years.

"I love the courts, I love that centre court, so I'm happy I got to play on that today and tomorrow as well.

"I've been having a good, healthy year so far and I've been able to play a lot of matches."

Fellow Briton Katy Dunne lost 6-1 6-2 to Olga Govortsova, of Belarus.

Britain's number two Johanna Konta beat Monica Puig 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-5) in their delayed match to reach the Nottingham Open quarter-finals.

The world number 147 took the deciding tie-break to defeat her opponent - who is ranked 58 places above her - after two hours and 19 minutes of play.

Konta, 24, and the Puerto Rican broke each other twice in the final set after bad light on Wednesday halted play.

The Briton faces Monica Niculescu, of Romania, in the last eight on Friday.

"It's always difficult not to finish a match on the same day. I'm happy to get through," said Konta.

Konta faces a stiff task, against world number 61 Niculescu, as she seeks a third successive Nottingham semi-final spot.

British number two Johanna Konta has been knocked out of the Nottingham Open, losing 6-2 2-6 6-2 to Monica Niculescu in the quarter-finals.

The 24-year-old saved 14 of 20 break points she faced but was beaten in two hours and 21 minutes by the Romanian.

Konta, ranked 147, was broken three times in the first set but hit back by taking the second as world number 61 Niculescu struggled with her serve.

However, the Romanian upped her game to dominate the final set.

Konta, who was aiming to reach her first WTA Tour semi-final, will now head to Birmingham for next week's Aegon Classic, followed by the Aegon International at Eastbourne immediately before Wimbledon.

"Credit to her, she really didn't give me much. She was there the whole time and I did my best, but unfortunately it wasn't enough today," said Konta of her opponent.

"I've been able to get three really good matches on the grass, which is like gold dust going into Wimbledon."

Konta has been given a wildcard for Birmingham, as have fellow Britons Naomi Broady and 16-year-old Katie Swan.

Swan, who was runner-up at the Australian Open junior tournament earlier this year, will make her WTA Tour debut at the event.

Former British number one Laura Robson's 17-month injury absence is to continue after she decided not to play at the Aegon Classic in Birmingham.

Robson, 21, had considered the offer of a wildcard for next week's tournament, which is used by players as part of their Wimbledon preparations.

She had wrist surgery 14 months ago and has not played since the 2014 Australian Open.

Robson's return could now be the Aegon International at Eastbourne on 21 June.

British wildcards Naomi Broady and Johanna Konta reached the second round of the Aegon Classic in Birmingham with straight-set wins.

Konta, 24, dropped just four games on her way to a 6-1 6-3 victory over Australian Jarmila Gajdosova.

Stockport's Broady, 25, ranked 224th in the world, beat the 79th-ranked Croat Ajla Tomljanovic 6-3 6-4.

USA-based 16-year-old Katie Swan, from Bristol, was beaten 6-2 6-2 by Tsvetana Pironkova on her WTA Tour debut.

"I was just playing her as a player and not the ranking," said Broady, who will now face top seed and last year's French Open finalist Simona Halep.

"That's the key when you get a wildcard into a tournament, not to overthink the draw and not to look at the ranking."

Konta, who will take on fifth seed Karolina Pliskova, added: "I'm enjoying playing here in Birmingham and now I look forward to the next one.

"I'm just happy to be in the country for a while and have my loved ones around me."

Briton Heather Watson is in first-round action against Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic on Tuesday.

British number one Heather Watson lost in straight sets to Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic in the first round of the Aegon Classic in Birmingham.

Krunic, a 22-year-old qualifier, beat the world number 45 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.

Watson's compatriot Naomi Broady, 25, was also beaten in straight sets in her second round match with top seed and world number three Simona Halep, 23.

The Romanian beat Broady, ranked 208 in the world, 6-4 6-2, with Johanna Konta now the only Briton still in the draw.

Konta, a wildcard entrant at the tournament, reached the second round with a straight-set win over Australian Jarmila Gajdosova and faces Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic on Wednesday.

Watson was also knocked out in the first round at Birmingham last year, with Serb Ana Ivanovic going on to claim the title.

The Guernsey-born 23-year-old was participating in the grass-court event as preparation for Wimbledon, which begins on 29 June.

It was her first match since losing to American Sloane Stephens in the second round of the French Open in late May, having withdrawn from the Aegon Nottingham Open earlier in June.

Watson has been struggling with an elbow injury, and said: "I'm still looking after it, still managing it, but I lost today because I just played really poorly.

"I made way too many unforced errors and was very inconsistent. I just couldn't relax and find my rhythm. I just didn't feel comfortable.

"I'm definitely going to Eastbourne and definitely going to Wimbledon."

For Wimbledon, Johanna Konta and Naomi Broady have been given wildcards. Heather Watson of course qualifies automatically. Mo wildcard given yet to Laura Robson. The Wimbledon organisers still have 4 wildcards to be given and if Laura Robson is able to, it's very likely that they would give her one of them.

Wimbledon starts a week later this year compared to previous years to give more time to players betwen the French Open and Wimbledon. That's how the Nottingham tournament was able to be introduced,

Johanna Konta was beaten by Kristyna Pliskova in a match delayed until today losing 6-3, 3-6, 4-6.

And the news we've been waiting for a long time:

Former British number one Laura Robson has announced she will return to competitive tennis after 17 months out of the sport with a wrist injury.

She will play at the Aegon International at Eastbourne, having taken a wilcard to enter the qualifying tournament this weekend.

"Tournament bound," Robson wrote on Twitter,  adding: "Is this real life?"

Robson has not played since losing in the first round of the Australian Open in January 2014.

The 21-year-old will begin her qualifying campaign on Saturday, competing in a draw that also includes Daniela Hantuchova, Julia Goerges and Kirsten Flipkens.

"I am looking forward to making my return to the tour and I am excited to compete in front of the great Eastbourne fans again," Robson said.

Her return, which was confirmed by the Lawn Tennis Association, could pave the way for her to be included in the second set of wildcards for this year's Wimbledon.

Robson was ranked as high as 27 in the world before her injury troubles and twice reached a Grand Slam fourth round, including at Wimbledon in 2013.

It makes sense for Laura Robson to go for a wildcard to the qualifying stages of Eastbourne in order to start getting some competitive match experience.

Laura Robson has drawn the top seed in the qualifiers, and world number 41, Daria Gavrilova in the first round of the Eastbourne qualifying competition so faces a tough match for her comeback.

Laura Robson's comeback match did not go well.

The former top-30 star, who had not played since the 2014 Australian Open due to a wrist injury, had been given the toughest possible draw, forced to take on top seed Daria Gavrilova.

And the Russian, ranked 41st in the world, dominated their Aegon International qualifier, winning 6-0 6-1 in just 58 minutes.

Robson’s serve, one of her big weapons, failed to produce a single ace but did throw up seven double faults - four in her opening service game - as she struggled in the windy conditions on the south coast.

Robson saved three break points in the final game of the first set, but then lost the fourth as Gavrilova secured a 'bagel'.

Robson got off the mark in her first service game of the second set which raised a smile and drew support from the packed Number One court.

But Gavrilova, who has managed wins against Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic in 2015, claimed the next five games to ease to a straightforward victory.

There had been speculation that Robson would be offered a wild card into the main draw of Wimbledon, although whether she would now consider accepting it must be in some doubt.

I thibk it would be better for Laura Robson if she got a wild card into the qualifier rounds at Wimbledon rather than to the main draw as she would then have a chance of being drawn against players outside the top 64.

Laura Robson has been given a wildcard direct into the main draw for Wimbledon.

In the Aegon Classic at Eastbourne the main tournament started today. Sloane Stephens beat Naomi Broady 3-6, 6-3, 7-6. Johanna Konta plays Zarina Diyas (ramked 34) and Heather Watson plays Varvara Lepchenko (ranked 38).

Thanks El xx

Awww good luck to Laura Robson. Wondered where she'd gone to!

Johanna Konte through to the second round at Eastbourne beating Zarina Diyas 6-3, 6-2. Second round opponent is Ekaterina Makarova, ranked 8.

Heather Watson's match is scheduled for a bit after 5 this afternoon.

British number one Heather Watson registered her first win of the grass-court season with victory over Varvara Lepchenko in the Aegon International.

Guernsey's Watson, 23, battled to a 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 first-round success over the 38th-ranked American in Eastbourne.

She will face 11th seed Elina Svitolina in the next round on Tuesday.

"I was super, super motivated today. I just felt really good and excited to play. Being here at home I always feel extra motivated," Watson said.

Watson lost in the first round of the Aegon Classic in Birmingham last week to qualifier Aleksandra Krunic.

And the world number 63 had pulled out of an event in Nottingham earlier in the month because of an elbow injury.

British teenager Harriet Dart was beaten 6-1 6-3 by 2014 Australian Open finalist Dominika Cibulkova.

Tuesday's opening match on centre court will be Britain's Johanna Konta against the Russian fourth seed Ekaterina Makarova, after their second-round meeting was postponed because of rain on Monday.

British number two Johanna Konta won her first match against an opponent in the world's top 10 to continue her impressive form before Wimbledon.

The world number 146 beat eighth-ranked Ekaterina Makarova, a US Open and Australian Open semi-finalist, at the Aegon International in Eastbourne.

"On paper it looks like my best-ever win," said the 24-year-old.

The Australia-born player will meet 14th-seed Garbine Muguruza in the third round following the 6-2 6-4 win.

"I knew she wouldn't give me any easy points - she is a top-10 player for a reason. I had to play some of my best tennis out there and I managed to do that," Konta added.

British number one Heather Watson also reached round three with a 3-6 7-5 6-4 win against 11th-seed Elina Svitolina.

"I haven't really had the best time in the clay-court season and have been finding a few things tough, so this week was like a new start for me," said Watson.

"I've got a lot of emotion in me right now. I think on the court it shows.

"The crowd today was louder than I think I have ever heard them here at Eastbourne for one of my matches. I just loved every minute of it."

Watson, 23, clinched victory after two hours and two minutes by breaking the Ukrainian's serve in the final game of the match.

She will now play American Sloane Stephens, who beat fifth seed Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain, while Australia-born Johanna Konta meets 14th seed Garbine Muguruza.

Johanna Konta has beaten Garbine Muguruza 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Her opponent in the quarter finals is Belinda Bencic. Her ranking is going to be improving as a result of this week.

Heather Watson's match is later today. Her ranking has slipped to 64 and will slip firther unless she gets to the semi finals.

A name to look out for in the future:

British 16-year-old Katie Swan stunned world number 118 Kristina Kucova in the first round of Wimbledon qualifying.

Wildcard Swan, ranked 866th, beat the 25-year-old ninth seed 6-3 6-4 in Roehampton.

The teenager reached the Australian Open junior final in January and only recently began playing senior events.

"I was really nervous before I went on court but I needed to relax and play because I had no pressure at all," she said.

"Obviously I was nervous, and got nervous in the last game, but I was really happy with the way I played.

"I was more aggressive than I have previously been and that worked for me today."

Swan, who is based in the USA where her family live, will play Austria's Tamira Paszek - a two-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist - in the second round.

"It's an amazing experience for me getting to play in front of big crowds against really good players," added Swan, who is staying at the National Tennis Centre, which overlooks the qualifying courts.

Johanna Konta seems to be in amazing form at the moment.

Heather Watson, the British number one, lost 6-2 6-3 against Sloane Stephens.

Watson, 23, went down a double break after her two first service games, allowing the American to quickly secure the opening set.

The world number 64 lacked rhythm against a player ranked 21 places higher, squandering three chances to win what turned out to be the final game, as Stephens took advantage with her second match point.

At this rate she could replace Heather Watson as the British number one but that will depend on what happens at Wimbledon.

British number two Johanna Konta's impressive run at the Aegon International came to an end against Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic in the Eastbourne quarter-finals.

Konta, 24, had beaten two top-20 players to reach the last eight, but lost 2-6 6-0 6-3 to the 18-year-old.

The Briton needed medical treatment in the changeover before the deciding set and could not deny Bencic victory.

"I'm really happy with the week in general," said Konta.

"But I have been struggling with some things and it kind of caught up to me today.

"I have been on antibiotics this week. I have been ill. I have been slowly getting better, but it's difficult to get better with energy levels when you play against such high level players."

Bencic will face former world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the semi-finals after the second seed won 7-5 6-1 against Germany's Andrea Petkovic.

Konta, the world number 146, had already earned two of the finest wins of her career in Eastbourne - beating world number eight Ekaterina Makarova and 20th-ranked Garbine Muguruza.

But she could not replicate her success against Bencic, who is regarded as one of the world's best young female players.

Konta broke Bencic's opening serve before wrapping up the first set in 35 minutes with a thumping ace.

Bencic, who has already reached a Grand Slam quarter-final at the 2014 US Open, showed signs of her vast potential by whitewashing Konta in the second set.

Konta appeared unwell at the changeover, receiving treatment on court from a doctor, before being given cleared to begin the decider.

However, world number 31 Bencic showed her greater experience of playing at the top level to reach the last four.

Let's hope they get favorable opponents in the Wimbledon first round draw.

Wimbledon first round matches with British players:

Heather Watson v Caroline Garcia from France ranked 33. (Last match on court 2 tomorrow) Third round opponent is likely to be Serena Williams so a very tough draw,

Johanna Konta has a very tough first round draw meeting Maria Sharapova ranked 4. (Second match on Centre Court tomorrow)

Naomi Broady (ranked 197) meets Mariana Duque-Marino from Colombia and ranked 99. (Match scheduled for tomorrow but to be arranged)

Laura Robson meets Evgeniya Rodina from Russia ranked 101.

British number one Heather Watson was level at one-set all with France's 32nd-seed Caroline Garcia when play was suspended because of bad light.

Watson lost the first set 6-1 and asked for the match to be stopped at just after 21:00 BST after taking the second set 6-3. Play will resume on Tuesday.

Earlier, Johanna Konta was beaten 6-2 6-2 by former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova on Centre Court.

And Naomi Broady lost 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 to Colombia's Mariana Duque-Marino.

The British number three was unable to match the success of her younger brother Liam, who won his first-round match earlier in the day.

Watson recovers from disastrous start

Watson is aiming for a possible third-round match against

five-time champion Serena Williams

Watson was hoping to become the first British woman through to round two but made a disastrous start on court 12.

The 23-year-old from Guernsey struggled badly on serve in the first set and was given a warning by the umpire after throwing her racquet when she was broken for the second time.

But Watson's belief returned at the start of the second set when she improved the quality and velocity of her delivery and also made inroads into Garcia's serve for the first time.

Helped by some vocal home support, she levelled the match before being asked if she wanted to continue and deciding it was too dark.

They will resume as the second match on court 12 on Tuesday to fight out the deciding set.

Konta outclassed by Sharapova

Johanna Konta has not reached the second round in four attempts

Konta, 24, has moved up to 126th in the world after beating two top-20 players at Eastbourne last week.

But fourth-seed Sharapova had too much quality and experience for the British number two on her Centre Court debut.

"The first match of Wimbledon is never easy, especially against a crowd favourite after a great week last week," Sharapova told BBC Sport.

"I wanted to focus on my game and I'm happy I did that."

Australia-born Konta was given a spot on the show court after her exploits at the Aegon International were followed by the draw against the Russian.

Sharapova is hoping for a repeat of her 2004 Wimbledon success

Konta earned two of the finest wins of her career in Eastbourne - where she now lives - beating Russian world number eight Ekaterina Makarova and 20th-ranked Garbine Muguruza of Spain.

While the Briton went into the match on the back of an impressive run, Sharapova was making her first appearance since losing in the French Open fourth round earlier this month.

She was not at her fluent best, producing seven double faults, while Konta set up five break points during the match.

But she only managed to take one of those opportunities before Sharapova claimed victory in one hour and 22 minutes.

Broady unable to celebrate family double

Naomi Broady reached the Wimbledon second round for the first

time last year

Home supporters flocked to see if 25-year-old Broady could follow in her brother Liam's footsteps - earlier he won a five-set thriller on his Grand Slam debut - and earn a surprise place in the next stage.

But the world number 200, ranked 101 places below the South American, made too many unforced errors to worry her rival, who won in an hour and 27 minutes.

The Stockport player did have a set point when leading 5-4 in the opener, but squandered that chance with a wayward forehand.

"I went into the match quite confident because I have had a good grass-court season overall and took some top players to close matches," Broady said afterwards.

"But it is the little breaks that I need. I didn't play my best tennis but I gave her a close match.

"It is quite tough for British wildcards because you are almost judged on this one tournament.

"Some people are negative when a wildcard loses in the first round but they don't watch us over the rest of the year. I'm proud of myself."

Heather Watson's match continues om court 12 today (second match)

Laura Robson's match is the second match on court 3.

That means that the two matches may be played at the same time.

Former British number one Laura Robson failed to make a dream return to Wimbledon as she was beaten 6-4 6-4 by Russia's Evgeniya Rodina.

Robson, 21, was playing at her first Grand Slam in 18 months after injury problems.

Robson was out injured for 17 months with wrist and knee problems before making her return at Eastbourne last week and being handed a Wimbledon wildcard.

She lost 6-0 6-1 to Daria Gavrilova at the Aegon International but looked much fitter and sharper against world number 101 Rodina.

However, it was not enough to advance to the second round of a tournament where she reached the last 16 on her most recent appearance in 2013.

Robson, whose world ranking of 58 has been protected during her fitness problems, was backed by a vocal home crowd on court three.

After losing the opening set, she bounced back to break Rodina's first service game of the second set - only to hand that advantage back in the next.

Three break points were squandered by her in the fourth game, prompting shouts of frustration from the Londoner, along with looks of disgust towards her coaching box.

The pair exchanged five break points in the opening seven games, with Rodina then holding to move within one game of victory.

Robson missed two break opportunities, and survived a match point, before losing and departing to a rapturous ovation.

She played much better than at Eastbourne and will now go to the States and get some match experience in some ITF tournaments, the second tier below the WTA ones. That's what Heather Watson did after her return from glandular fever and Laura Robson has a more realistic chance of getting some wins at this stage of her come back.

Heather Watson's through to the second round beating Caroline Garcia 1-6, 6-3, 8-6 Apart from the first set, a very good match with Heather Watson just edging it. Next round opponent is Daniela Hantuchova who is ranked 72.

BBC on Heather Watson's match:

Winning Watson

Heather Watson failed to serve for the match at 6-5 but made no

mistake two games later

Watson and Garcia returned in brilliant sunshine on a packed court 12 for an enthralling final set that Watson eventually secured in 68 minutes.

The Briton saw four break points come and go in the fifth and seventh games but could not convert any of them and was docked a point for an obscenity.

Garcia was mixing big serves with wayward groundstrokes but began to find some consistency as play continued and put pressure on the Watson serve.

Watson had to save three match points in the 10th game of the final set, but the match quickly swung back in her favour when Garcia's serve crumbled.

The French 32nd seed immediately broke back to 6-6 but Watson was quickly back on the attack and made no mistake the next time she served for the match, wrapping up an impressive victory when Garcia put a forehand return long.

Watson plays Slovakian former world number five Daniela Hantuchova next, with five-time champion Serena Williams a potential opponent for the winner in round three.

"I was getting quite tired because she was pushing me wide. I feel fit and healthy, but I think I need to work on being more aggressive," she told BBC Sport.

Heather Watson's second round match is the second match on court 1 this afternoon.

British number one Heather Watson reached the third round at Wimbledon for the first time since 2012 with an impressive win over Daniela Hantuchova.

The 23-year-old from Guernsey won four games in a row to recover from 1-3 down and take the first set.

Watson, the last British woman left in the main draw, went on to secure a 6-4 6-2 victory in 82 minutes on Court One.

She could next face five-time champion Serena Williams, who meets Timea Babos later on Wednesday.

Heather Watson's ranking should improve as a result, possibly up from 59 to 50. Would go even better if she were to beat Serena Williams who she has never played.

No great surprise with Serena Williams beating Timea Babos so plays Heather Watson tomorrow.

Not surprisingly the Serena Williams v Heather Watson match is on Centre Court tomorrow as the third match so could be early evening.

British number one Heather Watson gave top seed Serena Williams a huge scare before losing a thrilling third-round match at Wimbledon.

The 23-year-old battled back from a set down, winning six straight games from 3-3 in the second set.

Watson served for the match at 5-4 in the decider but five-time Wimbledon champion Williams recovered to win 6-2 4-6 7-5 in two hours and 15 minutes.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion will play her elder sister Venus next.

"It was a tough, tough ask today. But I was super, super close. I think that's what really hurts the most," said Watson.

"I honestly didn't think I was going to win," Williams said. "How I pulled through, I really don't know.

"I just was like, 'listen, if I'm going to go lose, I'm going to lose trying to do the right things'."

Watson, the world number 59, was the last surviving British woman in the main draw and was hoping to reach the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the first time.

Few people gave Watson a chance against the world number one, who overpowered her to take a one-sided first set in just 25 minutes.

It appeared that the tournament favourite would sweep to a swift victory, but Watson regrouped and began to mount a better defence of her serve.

At the same time, errors began to litter Williams' game and she became visibly frustrated by her frequent mistakes.

That increased Watson's belief and, as she improved, the crowd began to sense a comeback was possible.

Playing inspired tennis, she levelled at one-set all and moved 3-0 up in the decider with a double break.

By now, Centre Court was rocking but Watson could not maintain the momentum, losing a point that would have put her 4-0 up, and Williams fought back to lead 4-3.

Watson was not done yet, however. Another break gave her the chance to serve for the match at 5-4, and when she got to deuce she was within two points of victory.

Williams has not won 20 Grand Slams without being a fighter, though, and she dug deep once again to break back and go on to win.

Her victory keeps alive her hope of winning all four majors in the same calendar year, while Watson was left with nothing to show for an incredible effort.