Britain’s Heather Watson fell to her eighth successive defeat on the WTA Tour as Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova won 6-1 6-3 to reach the second round of the Prague Open.

Watson, 25, has not won a WTA match since the quarter-finals of January’s Hobart International.

The British number two’s poor form has seen her slip to 79th in the rankings.

Schmiedlova, 23, maintains her unbeaten start to the clay-court season after victory in Bogota earlier in April.

Ranked seven places below her opponent, wildcard Schmiedlova required just one hour and 26 minutes to beat Watson.

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The clay specialist dominated the first set, winning the opening four games before Watson finally got on the board in the fifth.

In the second set, Watson broke Schmiedlova’s serve three times but could not capitalise on her own as the Slovakian won four break points before holding her serve in the ninth game to clinch the win.

Watson – a three-time singles champion on the WTA Tour – has not even won a set since late February.