British number one Heather Watson grabbed her first grass-court victory of the season by beating Varvara Lepchenko 7-6(4) 6-2 in the first round of the Aegon International in Eastbourne on Monday.
In the first set, the 23-year-old, who has been dealing with a shoulder problem, was able to keep her composure by coming out on top 7-4 in a tie-break.
After taking the lead, Watson managed to claim a crucial break point to give herself a relatively comfortable second-set win over her 38th-ranked American opponent.
The Brit, who was knocked out of the Aegon Classic in Birmingham last week, will face 11th seed Elina Svitolina in the next round today.
Written by
Danielle Joynson
Danielle Joynson
