Watson out but Baltacha is confident ahead of main event

The 19-year-old’s resistance fell away after losing a tight first set 7-1 in a tie-break, as the third-seeded Peng turned up the heat to score a 7-6 (7/1) 6-1 success.

It was an impressive finish from Peng, who had been pushed to the brink by another Briton, Naomi Broady, on Wednesday.

For Watson, a Wimbledon wild-card is consolation.

Second seed and former world No 1 Ana Ivanovic stepped up her quest for the title as she brushed aside Canada’s world No 45 Rebecca Marino 6-3 6-2 in 59 minutes.

Next up for Ivanovic is Mirjana Lucic, whose 6-2 7-6 (7/4) win over Andrea Hlavackova ensured her second quarter-final appearance in two months.

Fourth seed Daniela Hantuchova beat 16th seed Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia 6-4 6-2, and will face American Alison Risk after Riske surprised French eighth seed Aravane Rezai 5-7 7-6 (8/6) 6-2.

Elena Baltacha was left to carry the British challenge at the AEGON Nottingham Challenge as Anne Keothavong was eliminated.

British No 1 Baltacha, seeded fifth, came through a first set featuring six breaks of serve in just nine games, and made short work of the second as she broke twice more.

The Scot, 27, took her third match point and will next face second-seeded Czech Lucie Hradecka, a 7-6 (7/3) 4-6 6-3 winner over Russia’s Valeria Savinykh.

Seventh seed Keothavong, though, was eliminated after a disappointing 6-3 6-4 defeat to Canada’s Stephanie Dubois.

The players twice traded breaks before Dubois made the decisive breakthrough to clinch the first set, and she broke twice more in the second as Keothavong’s first-serve ratio remained below 50 per cent for the match.

Baltacha said after her success: “I felt much more comfortable out there. I felt like I played more aggressively and more solidly. I served very well all around, especially on the big points.

“In terms of how I played and how I delivered and how I felt out there, I’m very, very happy.”

Baltacha has been given a wild card into the main draw of the AEGON International at Eastbourne next week.

The Scot beat new French Open champion Li Na and Zheng Jie in last season’s event.

And she said: “I’m delighted to have the chance to play there. It’s always nice to come back to a place where you’ve played well and there’s nothing I love more than playing in front of a British crowd.”