Heather Watson will face 16th seed Elise Mertens second on Court 22; Harriet Dart faces 2018 finalist Simona Halep in the night session on Rod Laver Arena. Both matches on Thursday
Wednesday 22 January 2020 07:49, UK
Heather Watson joined fellow Briton Harriet Dart in the second round of the Australian Open with a battling win over Kristyna Pliskova.
Windy conditions in Melbourne made life tricky for both players but it was tall Czech Pliskova, the identical twin sister of world No 2 Karolina, who ended up struggling the most.
That had a lot to do with Watson, who was unlucky to lose the first set but fought back brilliantly, sealing the second set with an ace before taking the match 4-6 6-3 6-1.
Watson will next face 16th seed Elise Mertens, who she beat on her way to the semi-finals of the Hobart International last week.
I managed to loosen up and relax and start enjoying it and I thought my game improved more and more as the match went on
Watson was happy with how she handled the conditions, saying: "It was super windy today. I feel sort of prepared because it was like that in Hobart a lot of the days.
"Being the first-round match and it being postponed, I felt a bit nervous on court in the first set and was a bit tense. But after that I managed to loosen up and relax and start enjoying it and I thought my game improved more and more as the match went on."
Watson arrived in Melbourne in good form after reaching the semi-finals of the Hobart International and she should feel positive for her clash with Mertens on Thursday after beating her in Tasmania.
The British No 2 added: "She's a great player and tough competitor and very solid so it will be a tough match.
"I think coming in it will give me confidence for sure to know that I can beat her, especially if it gets close in those tight moments."
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