Last-16. for Watson

HEATHER WATSON reached the last 16 in her second International Tennis Federation grade-four tournament in Florida. After progressing through the first two rounds and beating the seventh seed, Ekaterina Rybakova, 6-2, 6-4, Watson was halted by Rena Zsilinszka of Fayetteville, North Carolina.

In a difficult match, Watson was never allowed to get into any kind of rhythm by her more experienced opponent of three years and lost the match 6-1, 6-0.

In the following interview, Zsilinszka said of Watson: 'She's a solid player.

I had never heard of her before and I didn't know how she played but she beat the seventh seed yesterday so I figured she was really good.

It went my way today so I am happy and excited.

' Zsilinszka is ranked number one in the United States at under-16 level and went on to lose to the eventual winner of the tournament in the semi finals.

The 13-year-old Sarnian is now looking forward to the grade one Eddie Herr International Junior Championships that start on Monday.

The hard-court competition is actually held at the Bollettieri Sports Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where Watson is now into her second year of study and the tournament attracts the most promising juniors from all over the world.

It is one of the warm-ups prior to the Junior Orange Bowl Championships in Miami, Florida, in which Watson hopes to play again this year.