Japan Women's Open: Heather Watson beaten in second round

Watson became the first British woman to win a WTA singles title since 1988 two years ago in Japan

British number one Heather Watson lost in straight sets to world number 122 Yulia Putintseva in the second round of the Japan Women's Open.

Watson, ranked 46, was beaten 6-4 7-5 in one hour and 51 minutes by the 19-year-old from Kazakhstan.

The Briton had halted a run of first round defeats at her last four tournaments by beating Serbia's Jovana Jaksic in the opening round.

Watson won her only WTA title at the Osaka tournament in 2012.

Meanwhile, at the Linz Open in Austria, world number eight Ana Ivanovic withdrew with a hip injury, handing Madison Brengle a walkover into the quarter-finals.

Her absence leaves top seed Eugenie Bouchard as clear favourite for the tournament, after the Canadian comfortably overcame Austria's Patricia Mayr-Achleitner 6-4 6-1.