HEATHER WATSON’S run in Eastbourne came to an end yesterday with a semi-final defeat by rising star Madison Keys.

Watson was the first British player to contest a last-four match at the women’s international since Jo Durie 32 years ago and was looking to make the biggest final of her career.

But she could not cope with the power of 19-year-old Keys, who also won their encounter in the first round of Wimbledon last year.

Watson was still struggling to get over glandular fever at that stage and had high hopes of a different outcome this time but it was not to be as Keys eased to a 6-3 6-1 victory.

In her first WTA Tour final the US player will take on fifth-seed Angelique Kerber, who battled past Caroline Wozniacki 3-6 7-6 (7/3) 6-3.

Despite the loss it has been a hugely positive week for Watson, who secured the first top-20 scalp of her career by beating Flavia Pennetta in round two.

She should see her ranking climb around 10 spots from its current position of 70 ahead of Wimbledon, where she will open her campaign against another talented young player, Croatian Ajla Tomljanovic, the world number 52.

Laura Robson will be out of action as she continues her lengthy recovery from wrist surgery.

Wild card British entrant Tara Moore has drawn Russian Vera Zvonareva.

And fellow Briton Samantha Murray, ranked 242 in the world, drew newly crowned French Open champion Maria Sharapova in the first round.

The 26-year-old from Stockport said it would be “dream” encounter at SW19.

“I’m under no illusion that this is the biggest match of my life, but this is the kind of thing you dream of,” she said.

Meanwhile Andy Murray, no relation, found that he’d start his Wimbledon title defence against 23-year-old Belgian David Goffin.

The British number one defended All England Club’s unique seeding system that will ensure he avoids favourite Novak Djokovic until the semi-finals.

Wimbledon rates its ranking according to grass tournaments and Murray pointed out that many players now spend most of their careers on clay.

“Some people might say that because my seeding’s obviously moved up, but there are so few tournaments on grass now that there are so few points up for grabs on the surface that it is in a way a specialist surface,” he said.

“So I like the way they do the seedings, it makes this period, for the guys that do well, it helps.”