Watson is British No.1

HEATHER WATSON goes into this week's Mercury Insurance Open as the new British No. 1.

The 20-year-old Sarnian has risen to No. 71 in the world rankings following her performances last week at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford where she reached the second round and gave fifth seed Yanina Wickmayer a real scare.

She went on to win her first WTA Tour title at the weekend when she won the doubles with New Zealander Marina Erakovic.

Watson is one of four Britons now in the world's top 100, ahead of her Fed Cup teammates Anne Keothavong (76th), Laura Robson (91st) and Elena Baltacha (100th).

Watson will play Greece's Eleni Daniilidou in the first round of the WTA Carlsbad event tomorrow, with the winner likely to meet Wickmayer.