British hopeful Heather Watson has kept her French Open hopes alive by reaching the second round of the tournament following a 6-2 6-4 victory over Elena Vesnina.

The 20-year-old Brit got off to a flying start in Paris on Court 6 after snatching a vital break of serve and using it to her advantage to take an extended lead in the opening set.

The Russian professional could not impose her game on the clay court and struggled to hold on to her serve as Watson stormed to a one-set lead.

Watson continued to hold her own against her 25-year-old competitor but it was a tighter affair in the second set with games going by the way of serve.

While Brit Laura Robson failed to progress into the second round yesterday, Watson will continue to fly the flag after reaching the next stage of the major tournament.