Heather Watson held her nerve to score a notable win over world number 44 Yulia Putintseva in the first round of the Thailand Open in Hua Hin.
The British number six fought back from a set down to sink her awkward Kazakh opponent 5-7 6-4 7-6 (5) in a match lasting exactly three hours.
Fighting back to reach the last 16 in Hua Hin ?@HeatherWatson92 defeats No.2 seed Yulia Putintseva 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(5) at the Thailand Open #BackTheBrits ?? pic.twitter.com/BL62msHkK6
— LTA (@the_LTA) January 31, 2023
In a topsy-turvy encounter featuring 14 breaks of serve, Watson almost saw a 5-1 lead evaporate in the second set before rallying to force the decider.
She twice went a break up in the third set but finally managed to edge over the line after Putintseva hit back to force the decisive tie-break.
