British number two Heather Watson has echoed comments from Johanna Konta in criticising British media coverage of her.

Watson had only won once this year before a win in the first round at the French Open on Monday.

She said she understands why British number one Konta said the media does not “make it easy”.

“I try to stay as positive as possible because the media isn’t always the most positive,” Watson said.

“I try to blot it out and ignore it because the opinion of the media is not important.

“As long as I know what I’m doing and as long as my team knows, I try to stay positive.

“I understand how she is feeling and she’s got her head screwed on. She knows what she needed to do.”

Watson, 26, reached the French Open second round for the sixth time after breezing to a confidence-boosting win over home hope Oceane Dodin 6-3 6-0.

Konta seeded 22nd, was beaten 6-4 6-3 by Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva on Sunday – her fourth successive first-round loss at the tournament.

She has never won a main-draw match in Paris.

Speaking after her defeat, the 27-year-old said: “I don’t think it helps if it keeps being said: ‘Oh, she hasn’t done well there before.'”