Heather Watson thrashes Lucie Safarova at Miami Masters
- Published
Britain's Heather Watson stormed into the third round of the Miami Masters with a superb 6-2 6-1 victory over world number 25 Lucie Safarova.
The 19-year-old wildcard from Guernsey, ranked 129, wrapped up her second-round win in one hour, 20 minutes.
Watson won 73% of first serve points to her opponent's 46%, and saved six of the seven break points she faced.
Watson next faces world number one Victoria Azarenka, who thrashed her 6-1 6-0 in the Australian Open.
In the first round, Watson saved two match points as she came from 5-0 down in the final set to beat world number 48 Sorana Cirstea.
Her second round victory was a much more straightforward affair as she broke Safarova in her first service game and then held to move into a 3-0 lead.
The next four games went with serve to give Watson a 5-2 lead before the Briton broke again to take the first set 6-2.
Safarova broke in the first game of the second set to threaten a comeback.
But the British competitor immediately broke back and surged to one of the biggest victories of her career to set up the meeting with Azarenka, a 6-3 7-5 winner over Michaella Krajicek.
Elsewhere, Spanish wild card Garbine Muguruza Blanco ousted ninth-seeded Vera Zvonareva 6-4 6-3.
But Ana Ivanovic had no trouble seeing off Vania King of the United States 6-4 7-5.
In the evening session, former world number Venus Williams, who has not played since pulling out of the US Open in August, claimed a stunning victory over Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.
The 31-year-old, who has been sidelined by Sjogren's syndrome, won 6-4 4-6 6-0 in two hours and 18 minutes.
- Published20 February 2012