Laura Robson
Robson and Watson make early exits from the Australian Open in Melbourne.

Laura Robson and Heather Watson have both crashed out of the Australian Open following first round defeats in Melbourne.

British number one Robson, returning from a wrist injury that has prevented her from completing a match this season, lasted just 50 minutes as she succumbed to a 6-3 6-0 defeat to 18<sup>th seed Kirsten Flipkens.

Watson however provided a sterner test for her opponent Daniela Hantuchova, taking the second set from her Slovakian opponent before eventually bowing out of the competition after a 7-5 3-6 6-3 loss.

A wrist injury forced Robson to withdraw from ASB Classicat the end of 2013 before a reoccurrence a week later saw her retire from her first round match at the Hobart International, but the 19-year-old showed no signs of carrying the knock in Melbourne.

But a sluggish start where it took her 10 points to get herself on the board ensured a constant uphill battle for the Melbourne-born teenager and despite recovering from her lacklustre start to hold serve on three consecutive occasions, she was broken again by Flipkens as the Belgian sealed the first set.

Robson's rustiness after her injury-plagued start to the season was evident in the second as she made 32 unforced errors as her efficient opponent sealed a 6-0 drubbing to end the Brit's hopes of replicating her run to the third round of the competition last year.

"It was up and down the whole time, and I don't think I ever really got into a rhythm at all," Robson told BBC Sport.

"I wasn't really able to deal with her slice that well. It just didn't go well. I definitely expected to play better, but it happens.

"And I didn't really have any expectations going in because I didn't know what it was going to be like out there."

21-year-old Watson put in a typically tireless performance against her experienced opponent Hantuchova but was unable mount another fight back having claimed the second set as the number 31 seed sealed her place in the second round of the competition.

Australian Open