Heather Watson

Heather Watson's preparation for the Australian Open remained on track as she beat Sloane Stephens to reach the quarter-finals of the Hobart International.

The 22-year-old world number 49 needed a little over an hour to dispatch American Stephens 6-3 6-1 and the Briton will next play Roberta Vinci. The Italian two-time US Open quarter-finalist fought back to beat Annika Beck of Germany 3-6 6-3 6-3.

British number two Heather Watson has said that recent illness held her back after she was knocked out of Wimbledon by American Madison Keys.

Watson, who suffered from glandular fever earlier this year, said:

Read more: Wimbledon hopeful Tara Moore in Twitter 'rant'

British number two Heather Watson has crashed out of Wimbledon after losing to American Madison Keys.

The 18-year-old rising star beat the British hopeful 6-3, 7-5 to reach the second round of the tournament.

Heather Watson was knocked out of the French Open in the first round by Switzerland's Stefanie Voegele.

The British number two lost 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 at Roland Garros.

Britain's Heather Watson has beaten Chang Kai-Chen (Taiwan) 7-5 5-7 7-6(4) in the Japan Open Women's Singles Final.

Heather became the first Briton to win a WTA Tour singles title in 24 years by winning a marathon match.

She beat Kai-chen of Chinese Taipei in the final of the HP Open in Osaka.

The 20-year-old from Guernsey looked to have thrown her way her chance of victory.

Having served for the match at 5-3 in the second set, she fell a break down and faced match point in the decider.

But she broke back before finally clinching a win in three hours 11 minutes.

Watson has followed in the footsteps of Sara Gomer, the last British winner of a singles title on the WTA Tour in California in 1988.

Laura Robson has congratulated Heather Watson and Marina Erakovic after they were crowned Bank of the West Classic champions. Robson and Watson will play together as Team GB's womens doubles team in the Olympics.

Heather Watson's Olympic preparations took another boost last night as the 20 year-old claimed her first WTA Tour doubles title.

The British number 1 and partner Marina Erakovic beat top seeds Vania King and Jarmila Gajdosova in straight sets in the final of the Bank of the West Classic.

Watson and her partner from New Zealand had already beaten the second and third seeds on their way to the final, where they came out 7-5 7-6 (9/7) winners against players ranked seventh and 37th in the world.

She will now turn her attention to the Mercury Insurance Open in California next week, before being partnered by Laura Robson as one half of Team GB's Olympic womens tennis doubles team.

Heather Watson has become the first British female to enter the third round of Wimbledon in a decade. She beat USA's Jamie Lee Hampton 6-1, 6-4.