Watson beats rain and Chinese

HEATHER WATSON and Great Britain have got off a great start in the Junior Fed Cup with comprehensive victories over China and Mexico. Held in Luis Potosi, Mexico, the opening group match with China was a stop-start affair due to rain.

However, 16-year-old Watson (pictured) kept her focus to defeat Xin Wen 7-5, 6-4 in the singles, while British team mate Tara Moore got the better of Yi Zhong 7-5, 6-3.

In the doubles and Watson and Moore lost the opening set 6-7 against Wen and Xi Bai before rallying back to claim the second and third sets 6-3, 6-3.

'It's not always easy to deal with it when it rains,' said Watson. 'It's really important to keep our muscles warm so that we don't get tight. We also have to stay hydrated and eat a bit, but not too much and then it's just a matter of waiting.

'It is hard when you have to go through that routine over and over again and one of the times we came back on court after a long delay and we warmed up and then just before the first point it started raining again.'