Watson storms through opener

HEATHER WATSON has stormed into the second round of the Aegon Pro-Series event in Felixstowe.

The Guernsey star, who had to progress through two qualifying rounds to make the main draw of the tournament, eased past the fifth seed Yasmin Clarke from Derbyshire 6-3, 6-1.

Clarke is currently ranked 630th in the world, having been as high as 532 earlier this year.

The victory helps to move Watson closer to her ambition of winning at least one match in three senior women professional events to place her on the world rankings ladder.

She already had one event under her belt - the Caversham Jersey Open earlier this year when she beat Jade Curtis.

Watson now faces French teenager Morgane Pons for a place in the quarter-finals of the $10,000 ITF Women's Circuit competition.

Pons dropped only a single game in her straight sets defeat of Britain's Elizabeth Thoms.