That really was a tremendous effort by Heather Watson, who certainly showed glimpses of the form which took her into the world's top 50 before she suffered with glandular fever last year.

Ultimately, though, the British challenge in the women's section is over within three hours of the start of the competition, leaving Andy Murray as the country's only remaining hope in Melbourne.

Join my colleague Aimee Lewis for more live text action from Melbourne at around 07:00 GMT, when Novak Djokovic will be among the big names in action. Enjoy.

Piers Newbery
BBC Sport at Melbourne Park

Tough to take for Watson after she fought back in the decider but it's been a positive week for the British number three, with three qualifying wins, and she gets a great reception from the Court Two crowd.

It's all over! Watson resisted brilliantly for so long and at times threatened to cause an upset, but Hantuchova uses all her experience to see out the match, holding her serve to love in the final game, with Watson patting a forehand into the net to seal her own fate.

Just when Watson needed a steady service game, Hantuchova piles on the pressure with a series of excellent shots, including one return to rival Watson's in the previous game. She forces a couple of break points and, after failing to punish a weak Watson second serve on one of them, Hantuchova does take the game when Watson nets.

The 30-year-old will serve for the match, after more than two and a half hours.

As well as she's played, Watson needs to find something extra to break her opponent and she starts the game well, a stunning backhand return flashing past Hantuchova before she can move to give Watson the advantage at 15-30. Then, at 30-30, a stunning forehand - arguably the shot of the match - brings up break point.

From there, she makes no mistake, capitalising on the opportunity brilliantly, forcing a mistake to take the game. Back on serve and too close to call.

These are vital moments for Watson as she tries to stay with Hantuchova, who has clearly raised her game. The Slovak forces 30-30, but Watson shows attacking intent and pushes her opponent back, first taking a point at the net and then forcing a mistake at the baseline from Hantuchova as she holds for 2-4.

Heather Watson stares disbelievingly at the screen as it reports a failed challenge at 15-15. That proves costly, as Hantuchova then wins a long, punishing rally with a brilliant shot down the line that eventually beats Watson en route to 40-30. Watson then finds herself sprinting to all corners as the Slovak dictates the play, ultimately clinching the game with a neat pick-up at the net.

Hantuchova shows glimpses of real class to take the initiative, a sumptuous forehand at 30-30 clipping the line - confirmed by her challenge - and she then comes out on top at the end of a tense rally to break the Watson serve.

This could spell trouble for Watson - Hantuchova looks to have upped her game in the last 10 minutes or so.

Is this Watson's moment? She trails 40-30 but prevails at the end of a long rally as Hantuchova nets to take it to deuce, but the Slovak shows all the skills that took her to number five in the world as she fizzes down an ace before forcing an error from the Brit to cling on. This is right in the balance.

Piers Newbery
BBC Sport at Melbourne Park

Digging herself out of trouble was a notable feature of Watson's game throughout qualifying and she has spoken proudly about how her serve is improving - recovering from 0-40 early in the decider could be a big moment. The more boisterous section of Aussie fans are behind the Brit now.

That break after set two seems to have made quite a difference to Hantuchova. She has regained her focus and, at 0-30 on the Watson serve, the Brit sends a forehand long to give her opponent three break points. But Watson is not giving up easily, coming out on top at the end of two long rallies before Hantuchova fires long to bring up deuce. Watson then squanders a couple of game points but gets there eventually as Hantuchova is unable to return a powerful smash.

A huge hold for Watson.

After taking a toilet break at the end of that second set, Hantuchova returns a more composed figure. She claims the first game of set three with the minimum of fuss, Watson looping a forehand long at 40-0 down. First blood to the Slovak in the decider.

Daniela Hantuchova stares in disbelief at the umpire as HawkEye shows her shot at 15-15 is out, with the Slovak absolutely convinced it hit the line. But that matters little as Watson moves 40-15 ahead and claims two set points. Perhaps still riled by the controversy earlier in the game, Hantuchova sends a backhand wide to give Watson the set and a real chance of causing an upset.

Superb from Watson, who quickly moves to 0-30 on the Hantuchova serve before sending a sumptuous double-handed backhand down the line past her flat-footed opponent for three break points. She makes no mistake, as Hantuchova nets, giving the British number three the chance to serve for the second set.

Watson's advantage in the second set lasts all of about three minutes, as Hantuchova uses all of her experience to force a couple of break points. Watson sends a forehand long and it's back on serve again.

Watson lets out a cry of annoyance as she smacks a backhand long at 0-15 on the Hantuchova serve. But Hantuchova weakly finds the net on the next point before Watson inches towards the net and swats away a forehand winner to force two break points. The Slovak then miscues from the baseline and Watson has her break.

Piers Newbery
BBC Sport at Melbourne Park

A cool breeze and the flickering of dozens of fans means a packed Court Two is not a bad place to be, and Watson is hanging in despite a scratchy performance against Hantuchova. The Brit has smacked her racquet in frustration several times as she struggles to find consistency.

Hantuchova really looks to be getting into her stride as she sends an arrow-straight forehand down the line to take the first point of the game on the Watson serve. But a deft touch at the net followed by a serve which forces Hantuchova way out of court give Watson the initiative and she moves 40-30 ahead. There follows an odd series of looping shots from the back of the court, which Hantuchova kills with another deadly forehand. But Watson's serve gets her out of a hole, Hantuchova netting a return as the Brit keeps ahead in the second set.

A drop shot at the net followed by a cracked Watson backhand into the net give Hantuchova an easy opening to the fourth game of the second set. The Briton then nets and the Slovak thwacks down an ace to record one of the more straightforward service holds you're likely to see.

Daniela Hantuchova possesses plenty of power and she uses that to good effect to win the first point of the game. But her British opponent responds, moving to 40-15 thanks to an unforced error from the Slovak and a superbly-placed backhand winner of her own.

But Watson's having to work hard for everything at the moment, and Hantuchova forces deuce before Watson nets with a weak forehand. That's break point to the 31st seed, but Watson thwarts it as she races to the net and sweeps a backhand past her opponent. Hantuchova then slaps a backhand into the tram lines as Watson holds on.

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