WTA review: Watson makes winning start in Monterrey

The British number three bounced back from losing a tight second-set tie-break to eventually triumph 6-2 6-7 (7/9) 6-4 in a match lasting almost three hours.

It marked a welcome return to winning ways for Watson, who has struggled for form this year and crashed out in the first round in Miami last week.

She is currently down at 125 in the world, having threatened the top 50 after beating Kirsten Flipkens to claim her third career title in the same tournament last year.

Watson broke Stojanovic twice to take the first set, but the pair swapped two breaks apiece as a tighter second set headed into a tie-break.

The Briton led 5-2 and looked set for a straight-sets win before her opponent saved two match points and forced a deciding set.

Grabbing an early break, Watson then saved a break point on her way to establishing a 5-3 lead, then held her nerve to serve out to love and take victory.

Watson will next face sixth seed Ekaterina Makarova with the possibility of taking on world number one Angelique Kerber in the quarter-finals.

Makarova needed just over an hour to overcome Denisa Allertova 6-4 6-3 and reach round two.

Kerber survived an early scare before advancing.

After losing the first set to wildcard Francesca Schiavone, she won eight games in a row and emerged a 4-6 6-0 6-4 winner.

She will now face Mandy Minella, who was a 7-6 (7/3) 6-3 winner over Elitsa Kostova.

There was a surprise defeat for eighth seed Christina McHale, who was beaten 6-3 5-7 6-4 by Czech qualifier Tereza Martincova.

Fifth seed Timea Babos had no trouble dispatching another qualifier, beating Holland's Lesley Kerkhove 6-1 6-3 to set up a meeting with Briton Naomi Broady.

Carla Suarez Navarro, seeded fourth, cruised to a 6-2 6-4 victory over Alison Van Uytvanck, while seventh seed Alize Cornet had a similarly straightforward 6-1 6-4 win over Irina Khromacheva.

There were also first round wins for qualfiiers Nadia Podoroska and Kristie Ahn.

Australian Open semi-finalist Mirjana Lucic-Baroni was a first-round winner at the Volvo Car Open in Charleston.

The 11th seed fought off a plucky comeback from qualifier Aleksandra Krunic to triumph 6-1 4-6 6-3.

Romanian 10th seed Irina-Camelia Begu celebrated returning to her favoured clay with a 'double bagel' 6-0 6-0 win over Cagla Buyukakcay of Turkey.

China's Shuai Zhang was another seed in early action as she beat Misaki Doi of Japan 6-2 6-1 in just over an hour.

But American 14th seed Lauren Davis was beaten 7-5 6-4 by world number 91 Maria Sakkari of Greece.

Sixth seed Samantha Stosur beat Jelena Jankovic 6-1 6-3.

There were also wins for Shelby Rogers, Mona Barthel, Fanny Stollar, Sara Errani, Anastasia Rodionova, Annika Beck, Magda Linette, Lucie Safarova, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Kristina Kucova and Daria Kasatkina on a busy day of action after rain curtailed play on Monday.