Watson a key part of British revival

RIVAL captains of the Junior Fed Cup finalists in Mexico paid tribute to Heather Watson's performance, despite what on paper looked an emphatic defeat. British girls' captain Iain Bates said he could not have asked for more from his troops.

'I'm really proud of what the team has achieved this week. Heather came up against a really good opponent today and was a bit caught out by the speed of her start and although she dug in and gave what she had, she wasn't able to turn it around,' said Bates.

'I'm really proud,' said Watson's friend and teammate Tara Moore, who held match point before losing a three-set thriller to Kristie Ahn. 'Congratulations to the USA team. I think our tennis really showed the world that GB isn't just another country – we're a force to be reckoned with.

'We're really good as a team and I think we're just going to keep getting stronger over the years.'