Heather Watson over first hurdle at Australian Open

Heather Watson has beaten Arina Rodionova in the first round of qualifying for the Australian Open.

The 21-year-old from Guernsey won 6-4 6-3 to advance to the second of three stages before the main draw in Melbourne.

Next up is France's Stephanie Foretz Gacon, who beat Sydney-born Tammi Patterson 6-2 6-3.

The winner will face off against either Chanel Simmonds or Irina Falconi for a place in the first round of the tournament, which gets underway on Monday.