• Aegon International

Watson unlocked by Keys in Eastbourne

ESPN staff
June 20, 2014
Heather Watson failed to reach the final in Eastbourne © Getty Images
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Heather Watson was sent packing from the Aegon International after being comfortably seen off by Madison Keys in Eastbourne.

Keys, the youngest player in the top 50 at 19, will be contesting her first WTA final after previously being stopped in the semi-finals three times.

The American fought off three break points before taking the opening set with a single break, and a further break for 2-1 set her firmly on the way to victory.

Watson will now head to Wimbledon, where the British No.1 faces Ajla Tomljanovic in the first round.

Keys will take on Angelique Kerber after the German reached her second Eastbourne final with a three-set victory over 2009 champion Caroline Wozniacki.

Kerber, who finished as runner-up to Tamira Paszek in 2012, edged her opponent 3-6 7-6(3) 6-3 in a battle of fiercely contested baseline rallies that lasted two hours and 39 minutes.

Early on, Wozniacki held the upper hand by being the more aggressive player as she frequently came to the net, but after holding off three break points as she served out the opening set her challenge began to lose its intensity.

Kerber held a set point at 5-4 before winning the last six points of the tiebreaker to claim the second set, and in the third she finished strongly by sweeping five of the last six games.

Angelique Kerber was made to work by Caroline Wozniacki but in the end proved too strong © Getty Images
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