Watson: 'I'll learn from Tang defeat'

HEATHER WATSON goes into the $25k AEGON Pro-Series Sutton tournament next week after a rollercoaster start to the year.

On Thursday night the local public feted the 17-year-old as she was crowned the 2009 Sportingbet Channel Islands Sports Personality of the Year at a glitzy ceremony at the Hotel de France in recognition of her outstanding victory in last year's US Junior Open.

But the Guernsey-born starlet could only make the evening after Chinese girl Hao Chen Tang unceremoniously dumped her out of the 2010 Australian Open in the opening round earlier in the week.

The amiable Watson was philosophical about the defeat.

'Yes I was beaten but I'm going to have a lot more matches and I'm not going to win them all,' she said.

'I've got to learn from it.'

Poor serving seemed to be Watson's problem in her shock 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 first round defeat by the un-seeded Tang.

While not much was known about Watson's Chinese opponent, the 15-year-old went on to come within two points of reaching the final.

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