HEATHER WATSON knows she has to get bigger and stronger after crashing out of the Caversham International   tournament at Les Ormes.

The 16-year-old was no match for the long, hard hitting of British number four and Fed Cup player Katie O’Brien in the second round and lost 6-1, 6-1 in just under the hour.

Watson was slow to start against O’Brien and never seemed to find her confidence – although in typical style she worked hard to attack all the balls that she could.

But unforced errors, mainly due to O’Brien’s long balls to the backline, were Watson’s undoing and allowed the experienced O’Brien to pull away – knocking Watson’s confidence further.

But speaking after the defeat, Watson said she would use the experience to build upon.

‘It has been a great experience playing here but I had a very tough match today,’ she said.

‘Katie has obviously been playing a while, whereas I am still learning in each game that I play. But I will use the experience of today to get bigger and stronger.’

Her coach, Andrew Fisher (pictured), agreed that although she might not feel like it now, Thursday’s defeat would help Watson’s career development.

‘Katie is one of the top players here and is knocking on the door of the top 100,’ he said.

‘The start was crucial and losing the first three games made it difficult for Heather, but this game was an opportunity for her to gain some experience and play against someone who has already been through the transition that she is starting from junior to senior.