Heather Watson has suffered a straight-sets defeat to Barbora Strycova in the second round of the Italian Open.
The British number two had been confident of an extended run in Rome after seeing off former Roland Garros finalist Sara Errani in the last 64.
The signs were good for the 23-year-old as she stormed into a 4-0 lead against an opponent whom she had easily defeated at the French Open two years ago, but she was unable to maintain her form against the world number 36.
Strycova won six games in a row to take the opening set before she breezed through the second as she completed a 6-4 6-2 victory.
Watson will now prepare for the second Grand Slam of the year which gets underway in Paris on May 22.
Written by
Darren Plant
Darren Plant
