Watson ready to face 12th seed in Indian Wells
FRESH off the back of the finest win of her career, Heather Watson will now look to break more new ground today as she takes on the world No. 13 in Indian Wells.
Watson caused a huge shock on Sunday at the BNP Paribas Open, defeating the world No. 8 Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets – the first time she has ever beaten a player in the world's top-10.
'I've had close matches with top-10 players. I've also been wiped off the court by Radwanska – she's the main one who's beaten me very comfortably every time we've played,' said the Sarnian.
'I knew I had the tennis in me but I needed the belief, and to play the tennis rather than the player.'
Her reward, on top of the already-guaranteed $59,185 prize money and 120 ranking points, is a last-16 clash with 26-year-old Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro this evening.
Never before has 22-year-old Watson – ranked 43 in the world – been in such a position at one of the four WTA elite Premier Mandatory events, one tier down from Grand Slams.
A potential quarter-final with Simona Halep awaits the winner and Watson is full of confidence, knowing that she won her only previous meeting against Navarro on the hard courts of Auckland in 2011 in straight sets.
More in Tuesdays Guernsey Press.
