Heather Watson has labelled internet trolls 'cowards' who have 'got no life' after advancing at Wimbledon

The British number one yesterday reached the third round of Wimbledon

Heather Watson (GETTY IMAGES)

Heather Watson has hit back at internet trolls by labelling them "cowards" who have "got no life".

The British number one made the comments in the aftermath of her second round victory over Daniela Hantuchova that saw her advance to the third round of Wimbledon for just the second time in her career. The last home player left in the women’s singles beat her Slovakian opponent 6-4, 6-2 on a noisy Court One.

Watson recently revealed that she and her family has received death threats online.

Yesterday she added: "I think those people, they've got no life,"

The world number 59 went on: "They're just kind of cowards thinking they can say whatever they want on the internet.

"They don't understand that we're just people at the end of the day."

In the third round Watson will meet world number one Serena Williams Watson has never played the American before.