Watch match highlights between Heather Watson vs Alla Kudryavtseva.

Heather Watson suffered a second round defeat at the Aegon Classic in Edgbaston as she lost 6-4, 6-3 to Russian qualifier Alla Kudryavtseva on Wednesday.

The British No.2 was playing her third match since returning from four month lay-off due to glandular fever.

“I definitely didn’t play well today,” said Watson. “I made a lot of unforced errors and my serve was really awful but she was a much tougher opponent today; she was good off the baseline and she returned well. At the end of the day, you’ve got to go and win it and she did but, me, I wasn’t pleased with my game today.”

After losing the first set, Watson was broken three times in the second set to fall 5-2 behind.

“It was frustrating because I played well in my first match and I thought it was going to get even better today but it was the total opposite. I felt fine today. I just think I was a bit slow to the ball and slow thinking, which comes from not playing. I just need to get used to that. I thought today was a good opportunity and I feel like I’ve let it go. If I want to get back then I need to find a way even when I’m not playing so well.”

The 21 year-old from Guernsey now moves onto Eastbourne.

“I like all these tournaments: Birmingham, Eastbourne and Wimbledon.” Watson added. “So hopefully next week is better. Every year I have found out that it takes me a bit to get used to the grass and I only had a week practicing before this so I think with more training and more playing on it I’ll get used to it.”

Sorana Cirstea vs Tsvetana Pironkova

Sorana Cirstea got her Aegon Classic campaign underway with a straight sets victory 6-4, 6-4 against Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova.

Pironkova, who has previously reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon, fell to the Romanian third seed in one hour and 12 minutes.