High hopes for Games as four Brits enter top 100

Heather Watson is set to go into the Olympics as the British No 1 and with her first WTA title under her belt.

The 20-year-old who will be playing doubles but not singles at the Olympics, climbed to No 71 in the world singles rankings yesterday, just 24 hours after partnering New Zealand's Marina Erakovic to victory in the doubles at the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford University in the US.

Watson and Erakovic, playing together for the first time, had already knocked out the No 2 and No 3 seeds before beating Vania King and Jarmila Gajdosova, the top seeds, 7-5, 7-6 in the final. "It's such a nice feeling getting to the end of the week and being the last ones here," Watson said.

The updated WTA rankings list sees four Britons in the top 100 for the first time for 21 years. Watson heads Anne Keothavong (No 76), Laura Robson (No 91) and Elena Baltacha (No 100). The last time Britain had four women inside the top 100 was in 1991, when Jo Durie (No 62) was joined by Sara Gomer (No 89), Sarah Loosemore (No 93) and Monique Javer (No 100).

The rankings could change again next Monday as three of the four are in action over the course of this week.

The four British women will all take part in the Olympic tournament at Wimbledon. Keothavong and Baltacha will compete in the singles and as partners in the doubles, while Watson and Robson will join forces in the doubles.