Watson back on title trail

HEATHER Watson spoke of her relief after bouncing back from a “heartbreaking” second set to win the Mexican Open final.

The British No.2 triumphed 6-4 6-7 (8) 6-1 over Canada’s Leylah Fernandez to seal her fourth WTA Tour title but squandered five Championship points in the second-set tiebreak.

Watson eventually put the encounter to bed with her 10th match point and revealed afterwards how she dealt mentally with her second-set profligacy.

“I’m so happy to get my fourth title,” Watson (right) said. “It’s been a few years, so I’m just really, really happy I came through.

“It was so up and down. I had those (match) points in the second set and I wasn’t able to win that, but I was really pleased with how I stayed in the moment and won that third set.”

Watson last won a title in 2016, also in Mexico, and it has been a tough road since.

The 27-year-old has dipped in and out of the top 100, but she ended last season by reaching the final of the Tianjin Open and has not looked back.

Meanwhile, World No.2 Rafael Nadal has won his third Mexican Open title after cruising past Taylor Fritz 6-3 6-2 in the final.

IRELAND’S Madison duo Mark Downey (right) and Felix English have booked their Tokyo Olympic tickets after an 11th place-finish at yesterday’s Track World Championship in Berlin was enough to secure qualification.

The Irish pair went into the race one place outside the qualifying places and their hopes appeared to take an early blow when both Hong Kong and Portugal, their principal rivals, scored points during the opening