HEATHER WATSON made a first-round exit at the Indian Wells Masters in the US after going down 6-4 6-2 to Victoria Azarenka.

The Belorussian former world No 1, playing her first WTA Tour match in eight months because she will not leave California due to an ongoing custody battle over her son, broke five times to Watson’s two to book a second-round meeting with US Open champion Sloane Stephens.

The match was Azarenka’s first since Wimbledon last year, with the custody battle seeing her pull out of both the US and Australian Opens.