Heather Watson beat Shahar Peer 6-3, 6-0 to get into the main draw. She is drawn against Shuai Zhang (ranked 31).
Heather has improved in the rankings released today rising from 57 to 46. Johanna Konta is at 119. I'm hoping it won't be too long before Heather Watson has bettered her carrear high ranking of 39 (February last year just before she was diagnosed with glandular fever).
I'm looking forward to seeing how Heather gets on. Just read a Guardian article that says she could meet Wimbledon runner-up Eugenie Bouchard in the second round.
Well that was disappointing.
Heather appears to be on a poor run of form right now.
She is, being knocked out in the first round of the last 3 tournaments. I don't think she will suffer in the rankings though as the results are similar to this time last year. She's at the difficult level of rankings of being high enough to not go through the qualifying rounds (so not getting any points there) and is at a level where she is getting opponents in the first round who are higher than her (Sara Errani 12 in last week's tournament and Venus Williams 19 the current tournament).
Better news from yesterday:
British number one Heather Watson beat Jovana Jaksic in the first round of the Japan Women's Open to end a run of defeats.
Watson prevailed 3-6 6-4 6-2 against the Serb world number 102.
Watson, ranked 46, had lost in the first round of her last four tournaments.
The 22-year-old, who won her only WTA title at the Osaka tournament in 2012, will face Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva (ranked 122) in round two.
End of the 2014 tournament season's rankings released today, Heather Watson 49th, Johanna Konta 146th, and Naomi Broady 156th.
Patchy season for Heather Watson with some high points but also some disappointment that she didn't have a better latter part of the season and missed out on getting back to 39th which had been her best ranking (February 2013).
Hopefully she will improve next season and that Laura Robson will return.
On the radio this morning:
British number one Heather Watson says she is aiming to become the number one tennis player in the world.
The 22-year-old from Guernsey ended the season ranked 49th after suffering glandular fever last year when she had reached a career-high 39 in the world.
Watson won two singles and two doubles events this year and reached the second round at Wimbledon and the French Open.
"I definitely want to go all the way. I wouldn't be playing if I didn't think I could," she told BBC Radio Guernsey.
"I'm not thinking about number one right now. I set my mini goals, but I believe in myself, my team believes in me and we're doing everything we can to get there."
Watson's last singles tournament victory came in the Prague Open in May, while she partnered Alexandra Panova to her most recent doubles victory at the Baku Cup in July.
"My ranking dropped all the way to 160 in the world," said Watson, who was forced to miss two months of tennis last year because of her illness.
"So for me this year was about getting my ranking back up to where it was before I got ill.
"That's what I've done. I've climbed up the rankings slowly and I'm now back in the top 50 so now I want to start making big steps and climbing the rankings again.
"It gives me a good start. For the first few months of next year I'll be in the main draws and it gives me the confidence to work hard through my off season. It puts me in a good place mentally and physically."
Laura Robson not returning until after the Australian Open.
Former British number one Laura Robson will miss the Australian Open and plans to return to action in February after more than a year out.
Robson, 20, underwent wrist surgery in April and has chosen not to make her comeback at the first Grand Slam of 2015 later this month.
She has not played since losing to Kirsten Flipkens in the first round of last year's Australian Open.
Robson has slipped from a career-high ranking of 27th in 2013 to 916th.
The 2008 Wimbledon junior champion will return with a protected ranking, allowing her to enter eight WTA tournaments with a ranking of 58th - Robson's position after the last tournament she played in.
There are also likely to be wildcards on offer as she tries to make her way back among the world's top 50, but she will begin on the second-tier ITF circuit next month.
Heather Watson starts her preparation for the Australian Open in the Hopman Cup which starts today. Great Britain's matches are tomorrow against France, Wednesday against Poland, and Friday against Australia. Each set of matches consists on a women's single match, a men's single match (Andy Murray), and a mixes doubles match. They are in Group B. The most successful country meets the winner of Group A (Canada, Czech Republic, Italy & USA) on Saturday.
All of Heather Watson's opponents are higher ranked.
Andy Murray made a winning start to his Australian campaign as Great Britain beat France 2-1 at the Hopman Cup.
On a day when the temperature in Perth peaked at 44C, Murray beat Benoit Paire 6-2 7-5 to give Britain an early lead over France at the mixed team event.
Heather Watson then lost 6-2 6-2 to Alize Cornet, before the Britons won the mixed doubles 6-4 2-6 10-8.
Andy Murray and Heather Watson suffered mixed doubles defeat as Great Britain lost 2-1 to Poland in the Hopman Cup.
Watson, 22, lost the opening rubber 6-3 6-1 to Agnieszka Radwanska, but Murray, 27, levelled the tie with a 6-2 6-4 win over Jerzy Janowicz in Perth.
But the British duo lost the mixed doubles 6-4 6-4 as Group B leaders Poland remained undefeated.
Britain will play Australia on Friday, with only the group winners reaching Saturday's final.
Poland, who are the only team in the group not to lose, will qualify for the final if they beat France on Friday.
The format guarantees all the players at least three singles matches as they prepare for the Australian Open, which begins in Melbourne on 19 January.
Great Britain have avoided a Belarus team headed by Victoria Azarenka in the group-stage draw of the Fed Cup.
The team - featuring Heather Watson and captained by Judy Murray - will play Ukraine, Turkey and Liechtenstein in February's qualifiers in Budapest.(Feb 4th to 7th)
If they finish top of their Euro/Africa group, GB may need to beat Belarus in a play-off to qualify for World Group II.
Johanna Konta, Anna Smith and Jocelyn Rae will make up the British team, with Laura Robson absent through injury.
Watson is currently ranked 50th in the world, while Konta, who briefly broke into the top 100 last year, sits 146th.
Ukraine are likely to provide the toughest match in qualifying with world number 28 Elina Svitolina and 88th-ranked Lesia Tsurenko in their team.
Fifteen nations will compete for two places in the World Group II play-offs.
Should Britain win Euro/Africa Group B, they would go forward to a play-off against the winners of Group C, likely to be Belarus.
The winners of the play-off then progress to the World Group II play-offs in April.
Britain reached that stage in both 2012 and 2013, but lost to Sweden and Argentina respectively.
Andy Murray and Heather Watson won their final matches but Great Britain were knocked out of the Hopman Cup.
The pair beat Casey Dellacqua and Marinko Matosevic 7-5 6-1 to seal a 3-0 win over home side Australia.
Murray, 27, earlier beat Matosevic 6-3 6-2 while Watson, 22, overcame Dellacqua 6-3 6-4 in Perth.
Group leaders Poland (Jerzy Janowicz, Agnieszka Radwanska) qualified to meet the United States (John Isner, Serena Williams) in Saturday's final.
In the 3 singles matches Heather Watson (ranked 50) played during the week she lost to Alize Cornet (ranked 18) and Agnieszka Radwanska (ranked 5) but beat Casey Dellacqua (ranked 29) and won 2 of the 3 mixed doubles so a reasonably satisfactory start to the season.
She will be in next week's Hobart International and her first round match is against Magdalena Rybarikova who is ranked 48 so a good test.
Great Britain's Heather Watson beat American fifth seed Sloane Stephens in straight sets to reach the Hobart International quarter-finals.
The 22-year-old won 6-3 6-1 in 64 minutes and looked in impressive form ahead of the Australian Open, which starts on 19 January.
Watson, who faces Italian ninth seed Roberta Vinci (ranked 44) next, said: "This is how I want to play consistently.
"I'm feeling good, confident and very comfortable coming to the net."
British number one Heather Watson reached the third WTA semi-final of her career with victory over Roberta Vinci at the Hobart International.
The 22-year-old fought back from 5-2 down in the first set to win 7-6 (7-0) 6-2, converting her fifth match point in a tense final game.
She will face American eighth seed Alison Riske )ranked 42) on Friday.
"It was very tough at the end, she really stepped up her game," said Watson, from Guernsey.
"I didn't change and kept doing the same things, but with great players like her you can't expect them to give it to you."
Watson reeled off nine out of 10 games to take control against ninth seed Vinci, and held her nerve after the Italian showed signs of recovering from 5-0 down in the second set.
Heather Watson came through six rain delays - one of them at match point - to beat Alison Riske and reach the final of the Hobart International in Tasmania.
The British number one prevailed 6-3 7-5 to move within one victory of her second WTA title.
Watson, 22, will play American qualifier Madison Brengle (ranked 94) in the final.
"I'm very happy to finally get through today - it was tough," said Watson.
With wind hampering play and rain repeatedly forcing the players off court, Watson won five games in a row to clinch the first set and fought back again to take charge of the second.
Riske was thrown a lifeline with more rain arriving just as Watson earned a third match point on serve, and when play resumed over an hour later the Briton was clearly nervous.
A double-fault on match point was followed by complaints over two line calls and the game was slipping away as Riske levelled at 5-5.
The American had struggled with unforced errors throughout, however, and she allowed Watson to regain the initiative with another break.
At the second time of asking, Watson closed out the match with a far more solid service game.
"It's definitely not great conditions to play tennis and it was never going to be a very pretty match," added Watson.
"I think the goal for Alison and me today was just to get the ball in and not go for free points."
Asked about the rain delay at match point, Watson added: "It was the right decision.
"I obviously wanted to play but the point before I slipped myself, so it was the right thing to do."
Watson is trying to add the Hobart title to her first tournament win in Osaka two years ago.
After Saturday's final she will head to Melbourne for the Australian Open, where she takes on Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova (67) in the first round on Monday or Tuesday. The two of them have been drawn against each other in the past and each of them have won twice. However Heather Watson has improved and would be favoutite to win.
Congratulations today to Heather Watson 
I think the win will get her ranking back to her career best.
British number one Heather Watson beat American qualifier Madison Brengle in straight sets to win her second WTA title at the Hobart International.
Watson, ranked 49th, is the first British woman since Anne Hobbs in 1985 to win a second tour title.
The 22-year-old from Guernsey did not drop a set throughout the week.
She now heads to Melbourne to compete in the Australian Open, where she will play Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova in round one on Tuesday.
Watson won her first WTA title in Osaka two years ago, before her career was interrupted by illness.
She began last year ranked 119th in the world following a bout of glandular fever but has since recovered and begun working with Argentine coach Diego Veronelli.
Victory in Hobart means Watson will close in on her career-high ranking of 39.
"Thanks to my coach Diego, its been great working with you," she said afterwards.
"We work really hard but we also have fun."
Brengle, the world number 84, was a surprise finalist having come through qualifying, but the 24-year-old made the early running in the final.
After a rain-interrupted semi-final there was another early shower on Saturday, and Watson then survived a 14-minute opening service game that included six break points.
The service struggles continued in the wind and Watson twice fell a break behind but was able to hit back immediately each time, levelling at 3-3 after a scrappy 44 minutes.
Watson then made the decisive move as she reeled off three games to take the set, and after a steadier start to the second she went ahead again at 4-3.
There was a hint of nerves when she slipped 15-30 behind while serving for the match, but Watson closed out the win and headed to the stands to hug coach Veronelli.
Awesome Heather Watson!
Heather Watson paid tribute to fellow British number one Andy Murray after winning her second WTA title in Hobart.
Watson, 22, became the first British woman to win two tour titles since Anne Hobbs in 1985 with victory on Saturday.
She joins compatriots James Ward and Kyle Edmund in the singles for the Australian Open, along with Murray.
"He's a great role model for us British players to have," said Watson, who teamed up with Murray at the recent Hopman Cup mixed event.
"He's such a good person to look up to, he's so nice and friendly. I learnt a lot from him on and off the court," said Watson, who beat American Madison Brengle 6-3 6-4 in the Hobart final.
"I felt so blessed to have the opportunity to play with him and just see how professional, hard-working and competitive he is.
"It was great for me to see that and it gave me a boost, thinking he's my partner. I'm sure he's helping the other guys."
Hobart was Watson's first title with new coach Diego Veronelli
Watson is the only British woman in the Australian Open singles after Johanna Konta and Naomi Broady lost in qualifying, while Laura Robson continues her recovery from a wrist injury.
"I definitely don't feel lonely because of the guys, they've done great," said Watson.
"James looks like he's playing great, Liam Broady was unfortunate to lose in the last round of qualifying and Kyle got through.
"I actually warmed up with Kyle one day in Florida and I remember finishing the practice thinking, 'Holy cow, how heavy is his ball?' He was working really hard so he deserves to get through."
Robson, who is 21 on Wednesday, has not played since last year's Australian Open and has slipped to 941 in the rankings, but Watson is confident her Fed Cup team-mate will get back to her best when she returns next month.
"I saw Laura a lot in my off-season; it's unfortunate she's not here," she said.
"She's probably sick of not being able to play but I'm sure when she comes back she's going to be so motivated, so fresh, so determined that she'll have no trouble."
Watson won her first WTA title in Osaka two years ago before her career was derailed by a bout of glandular fever, and Saturday's victory takes her to a new career-high ranking of 38.
"I'm very happy to get another title, it's important for me to get the silverware," said the Briton, who plays Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday.
"It's a big thing for me to win the tournament. Coming into the Australian Open it's given me a lot of confidence."
Grim news that Heather Watson may be suffering from a recurrence of glandular fever. She was well below par in the first round match losing 4-6, 0-6. She said afterwards that she was feeling light readed and lacking in energy. More concerning was her admission that these had happened before since her return from glandular fever. She is going to see a doctor about this.She must be worried that this may be a long term problem - Robin Soderling's career has been devastated by glandular fever.
May not be a return of glandular fever but using Heather Watson's own words "I think it's just one of these things that I have, girl things."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/30908551
Great Britain's women eased to a comprehensive victory in their opening Fed Cup tie against Liechtenstein.
Heather Watson and Johanna Konta won their singles matches in the Europe/Africa Zone Group 1 first round.
And Anna Smith and Jocelyn Rae combined to win the doubles and complete a 3-0 clean-sweep.
Britain, captained by Judy Murray, also face Turkey and Ukraine this week in their bid to qualify to play-off for a place in the World Group.
Konta beat Kathinka von Deichmann 6-0, 6-0 in Budapest, with Watson a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Stephanie Vogt.
Rae and Smith, making her Fed Cup debut, beat Vogt and Von Deichmann 6-1, 6-2.
"The supporters made a lot of noise and that makes a huge difference," Smith tweeted.
"It's been a perfect start for the team, and we hope for more of the same tomorrow."
Murray expects a tougher assignment against Turkey, and she told lta.org : "It was a nice way to start the event and was a relatively stress-free day.
"It is nice to get through without having to spend too much time on court as by the time you get to the end of a week like this everyone is getting a bit tired."
Britain will play the country who top Group C on Saturday, if they win their own Group B.
The winners of that match will go through to the April play-off to contest a place in next year's 16-team World Group.
Great Britain have been beaten by Turkey in the Fed Cup qualifying competition in Budapest.
Heather Watson lost 6-2 3-6 7-5 to Cagla Buyukakcay in the singles and Johanna Konta was beaten 6-3 7-6 (8-6) by Ipek Soylu.
Anna Smith and Jocelyn Rae won their doubles match against Basak Eraydin and Pemra Ozgen 6-2 6-1.
GB can still top their group if they beat Ukraine on Saturday.
Great Britain recovered from the brink of elimination to defeat Ukraine and top their group in Fed Cup qualifying.
Even though Johanna Konta and Heather Watson won their singles matches, Anna Smith and Jocelyn Rae still had to save a match point to win the one set of doubles they required to go through.
Britain will now contest a Group I play-off against Victoria Azarenka's Belarus on Saturday in Budapest.
The winners will progress to the 16-team World Group II play-offs in April.
Following their defeat by Turkey on Thursday, GB needed to beat Ukraine convincingly to advance.
World number 145 Konta, 23, beat Lesia Tsurenko - a player ranked 53 places above her - 6-3 6-2, before British number one Watson, 22, fought back from a set down to defeat Elina Svitolina 2-6 7-5 6-4.
Smith, 26, and Rae, 23, lost the first set of their doubles contest on a tie-break and saved a match point that would have eliminated Judy Murray's squad before sealing the tie 6-7 (6-8) 7-5 6-4.
"There were so many epic points in the match," said Smith. "I just remember running a lot. We just showed guts and determination to pull through."
Rae added: "This level is a bit new to us so the fact that we pulled through is positive. It was a massive team effort."
BBC Sport's Piers Newbery |
|---|
After a poor day on Thursday when both lost to lower-ranked players, Konta and Watson turned around their fortunes spectacularly to beat Ukraine's world number 92 and 26 respectively. Rae and Smith have been the revelation of the week, however, winning all three doubles rubbers and giving a new depth to captain Judy Murray's squad. Belarus, with Azarenka, provide tough opposition on Saturday but Britain have huge momentum. The prize for another victory could be a first home tie for Britain's women since 1993, depending on the World Group II play-off draw. |
Great Britain's hopes of reaching the Fed Cup World Group II play-offs are over after Johanna Konta and Heather Watson lost singles matches to Belarus.
Konta was thrashed 6-0 6-1 by Olga Govortsova and Watson lost 6-4 6-1 to Victoria Azarenka.
Judy Murray's team had rallied from the brink of elimination to beat Ukraine and set up a shoot-out with Belarus.
But Govortsova and Azarenka's wins gave Belarus an unassailable 2-0 lead and put them through to April's play-offs.
"Today just didn't happen for us," said GB captain Judy Murray. "It was very disappointing for us after such a good day yesterday and everyone played so well with huge team spirit and desire to get into the play-off.
"In the first match Jo just couldn't find her form at all but Olga Govortsova played incredibly well and made it very difficult for Jo to get into the match.
"Heather was up against one of the best payers in the world and I thought she got closer than the score probably suggested, but maybe wasn't quite as consistent as she needed to be to break down that level of player."
The Fed Cup is limited to just three weeks in the schedule and, although a review of the structure is under way, by 2016 it will be 23 years since Britain's women last played on home soil.
"It is all over for us for another year and we have 12 months to try and help the girls improve and get ready to come back and challenge for this zone again," added Murray.
"Defeat by Azarenka's Belarus in the play-off was no great surprise and the emergence of Anna Smith and Jocelyn Rae as a successful doubles team, plus the imminent return of Laura Robson, gives some cause for optimism next time. The pity is that GB must wait 12 months to try again."
