British number one Heather Watson progressed to the second round of the Pattaya Open with ease after Hungary's Timea Babos was forced to retire in the second set. Watson climbed to number 40 in the WTA rankings after reaching the third round of the Australian Open, where she lost to Agnieszka Radwanska, and she continued to impress in Thailand, dropping only one game. The 20-year-old eighth seed had brushed Babos aside 6-1 in the first set and was cruising 3-0 in the second when Babos retired hurt, handing Watson a second-round meeting with Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia. Sevastova had a harder task in dispatching Japan's Misaki Doi 6-4 6-2 to progress, while fifth seed Sabine Lisicki saw off the threat of fellow German Tatjana Malek with a 6-2 6-3 win. Second seed Maria Kirilenko beat Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan 6-3 7-5 as American Vania King fell to a 6-4 6-4 defeat at the hands of Anastasia Rodionova of Russia. Elsewhere, Sorana Cirstea of Romania moved beyond American Bethanie Mattek-Sands with a 6-1 6-3 win and Australia's Casey Dellacqua fell foul of a 6-2 6-2 triumph for Luksika Kumkhum. | 
