HEATHER WATSON has taken her first step towards qualifying for Wimbledon.

Yesterday the 16-year-old Guernsey star and British under-16 champion took care of Jade Windley in the pre-qualifying competition on the outer courts of the famous south-west London club.  She is now two matches away from the qualifying event, which is held the week before Wimbledon starts on 23 June.

‘I’m very pleased and I played really well considering it was my first time on grass in over a year,’ said Watson (pictured). ‘She was a good player but I just stayed calm throughout the match. I kept a good attitude and I think that frustrated her and she started to miss more.’

Watson defeated the 18-year-old Windley from Lincolnshire 6-2, 6-2. Today the Sarnian faces 20-year-old Surrey player Anna Smith. Smith is the top seed in the tournament and has a current world ranking of 483.