Advertisement

Heather Watson secures first tour win since Wimbledon but tough Anett Kontaveit challenge awaits

Getty
Getty

The wait has been long but with victory came great relief for Heather Watson, whose defeat of Yanina Wickmayer in the first round of the Luxembourg Open was her first tour level win since Wimbledon.

The British number two has had a tough season on the American hard courts and in Asia but despatched the Belgian qualifier Wickmayer 6-2 6-1 in just over 40 minutes.

Watson took her chances impressively, converting all four break points, and won more than half the points on her opponent's serve in a dominant display.

But she will face a much tougher challenge in the second round against third seed Anett Kontaveit. The 21-year-old Estonian is yet to really make her mark in one of the slams but is looking to crack the top 20 of the world rankings by the end of the season.

Kontaveit has one WTA tour title, won on grass in the Ricoh Open back in June, and was victorious at Eastbourne in 2015.