Wednesday 15 January 2020 13:39, UK
Heather Watson and Kyle Edmund put a disappointing 2019 behind them to reach the quarter-finals in Hobart and Auckland on Wednesday.
Watson beat Fiona Ferro 7-6 (5) 6-3 to set up a last-eight date with Elise Mertens at the Hobart International on Thursday, while Edmund was a straight-sets winner against world No 84 Andreas Seppi to move into the quarter-finals in Auckland.
British No 2 Watson, a former champion at the tournament, was a straight-sets winner against her French opponent in a match that was delayed due to darkness.
Play was suspended with Watson leading a set and 3-2 on serve in the second. After the resumption, the 27-year-old from Guernsey broke her opponent's serve in the eighth game of the second set before serving it out for the victory.
Edmund has slid to world no 69, and British number three, after a year of injury and illness contributed to a slump in form that included seven straight first-round defeats between August and October.
Buoyed by three victories at the Davis Cup, where Great Britain reached the semi-final before losing to hosts Spain, Edmund has headed into this year hoping to rekindle the form that made him an Australian Open semi-finalist two years ago.
He lost in straight sets to Filip Krajinovic in Doha last week to start the season on a low note, but a battling three-set win over Alejandro Fokina got his ASB Classic campaign underway in New Zealand earlier this week and he followed up with a strong showing to dispose Italy's Seppi 6-3 7-6.
Having eased to the first set, the 25-year-old rallied from a break down in the second before edging a close tie-break that sets up a last-eight showdown with fourth seed John Isner.
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