Oh Osaka-ka-ka

NEAR the end of the best week of her career so far, Heather Watson is just a solitary victory away from her maiden WTA tour final.

The 20-year-old Guernsey girl kept her fantastic runs going in Osaka yesterday with quarter-final victories in both the singles and doubles draws.

At the HP Japan Open, the British number two will now face home player Misaki Doi in today's singles semi-final and will be favourite by virtue of being ranked 52 places higher than the Japanese woman.

Watson set up that match by impressively defeating Pauline Parmentier 7-5, 6-3 in the last eight, a result that guarantees her a minimum of 130 extra ranking points.

That means she is certain to rise from her current ranking of 71, possibly to a career high within the top 60, which would increase further with success today.